THE,  MINISTRY 
DAVID  BALDWIN 


E-BOYD-SMITH 


HENRYT-COLESTOCK 


THE    MINISTRY 

OF 

DAVID   BALDWIN 


A  NOVEL 


By 
HENRY  THOMAS  COLESTOCK 


NEW  YORK 
THOMAS  Y.  CROWELL  &  CO. 

Publishers 


COPYRIGHT,  1907, 
BY  THOMAS  Y.  CROWELL  &  COMPANY 


c 

V 


TO    MY    WIFE 


M604691 


ILLUSTRATIONS 

"  Answer  me  !  "       (p.  249)         .         .         Frontispiece 

PACb 

"  Part  with  one  of  my  wedding  presents  ?    No  !  "     122 

On   the    next  day  the  cruel  words  had  to  be 

spoken        .  286 

With  intense  interest  he  watched  Driver's  pen    .     296 


THE  MINISTRY 
OF  DAVID  BALDWIN 


i 

DAVID  BALDWIN  sat  by  his  study-table 
looking  over  the  program  of  events  for 
the  day.  On  the  opposite  side  of  the 
room  sat  his  chum,  Oswald,  reading  the  morning 
paper.  The  room  was  a  typical  student's  den, 
with  bookcases,  dictionaries,  drop-lamps,  sofa- 
pillows,  canes,  college  colors,  class  designs,  foot- 
ball notices,  relics  of  class  victories  still  cherished 
with  the  memories  of  undergraduate  days,  a  pro- 
fusion of  photographs  on  the  wall,  a  couple  of 
tennis  rackets,  together  with  many  other  nameless 
and  indescribable  articles  which  go  far  toward 
giving  a  distinctive  character  to  a  student's  room. 
One  of  these  articles,  an  ingenious  device  for  heat- 
ing water  over  a  gas  jet,  suggested  the  possibil- 
ities of  hot  cocoa,  and  of  little  informal  gatherings 
in  attires  wholly  unconventional. 

David  leaned  back  in  his  chair,  throwing  one 
leg  over  a  corner  of  his  study-table.  He  looked 
out  of  the  window  over  the  campus  apparently  at 
the  stream  of  human  figures  beginning  to  form 
and  which  would  ebb  and  flow  throughout  the 

1 


2  THE  MINISTKY  OF 

hours  of  the  day.  But  he  did  not  see  these 
streams  of  human  beings:  he  ws,s  only  waiting 
for  the  mail. 

David  had  very  few  regular  correspondents,  and 
there  was  no  reason  for  his  expecting  a  letter  from 
any  of  them  this  morning.  The  truth  is,  he  was 
not  expecting  a  letter  from  any  one  in  particular, 
but  was  just  hoping  that  the  morning's  mail  would 
bring  him  a  letter;  any  tetter,  even  a  circular 
would  be  better  than  none  at  all. 

The  problem  of  his  future  was  bearing  hard 
upon  David  Baldwin  this  morning.  He  had  no 
plans  for  to-morrow ;  and  to-day  would  close  a 
ten  years'  course  in  the  schools. 

His  thoughts  swept  rapidly  over  the  years  of  his 
student  life.  Seven  years  ago  on  his  graduation 
from  the  academy,  it  had  seemed  as  if  the  whole 
world  was  waiting  for  him  to  put  his  shoulders 
under  some  of  its  burdens.  Indeed,  he  had  felt 
the  world's  need  calling  him  so  urgently,  that  it 
had  seemed  quite  out  of  the  question  to  go  on 
with  his  college  studies.  A  smile  passed  over  his 
face  as  he  thought  of  the  eagerness  with  which  he 
had  then  looked  out  on  life.  Yes,  that  graduation 
from  the  academy  marked  the  highest  point  he 
had  ever  attained — in  his  own  estimation  of  him- 
self. 

Four  years  later,  at  the  close  of  his  college 
course,  his  graduation  had  meant  very  little  to 
him,  though  he  was  among  the  honor  men  of  his 
class.  He  was  certain  that  he  knew  much  less 


DAVID  BALDWIN  3 

than  he  did  when  he  left  the  academy — at  least  it 
seemed  so  to  him. 

And  now,  having  come  to  the  end  of  his 
divinity  course,  the  burden  of  his  own  ignorance 
had  increased  with  the  passing  of  each  year. 

After  all,  had  it  really  been  wise  for  him  to 
spend  these  ten  years  in  study — years  of  struggle 
in  every  sense  of  the  word?  Would  he  not 
have  been  better  prepared  now  to  go  on  with  his 
life's  work  had  he  spent  at  least  the  last  half 
of  this  period  in  actual  apprenticeship?  How 
much  time  he  had  given  to  the  fighting  over  again 
of  the  theological  battles  of  past  generations! 
And  how  little  he  really  knew  of  the  present 
struggles  of  his  fellow  men  in  the  workaday 
world ! 

While  filled  with  a  longing  to  serve  his  fellow 
men,  David  Baldwin  was  depressed  with  the 
consciousness  that  his  world  and  the  one  of  every- 
day people  were  not  the  same.  His  education 
had,  to  a  certain  degree,  exiled  him  from  the  com- 
mon man.  In  his  thought  on  religious  subjects 
especially  he  was  conscious  of  a  wide  divergence 
from  the  opinions  and  beliefs  which  possessed  him 
ten  years  ago.  One  by  one  he  had  battled  for  his 
former  views ;  and  one  by  one  every  religious 
conception  of  his  pre-college  days  had  been  dis- 
placed. How  well  he  remembered  the  anguish  of 
those  former  days  when  he  was  certain  he  was 
losing  his  religion.  What  a  revelation,  what  a  re- 
lief when  he  discovered,  at  the  suggestion  of  a 


4  THE  MINISTRY  OF 

friend,  that  there  is  a  vital  distinction  between  re- 
ligion and  one's  beliefs — that  beliefs  are  but  ex- 
planations of  religion  which  is  a  life. 

"  Certainly,  a  man's  religious  beliefs  are  bound 
to  change  as  he  develops  intellectually.  I  see  it 
now.  It  is  as  clear  as  day.  Religion  is  a  life. 
Creeds  are  but  changing  explanations  of " 

The  tread  of  the  postman  on  the  floor  below  in- 
terrupted David's  reverie.  Click,  click  resounded 
the  letter  receiver  as  the  carrier  went  from  room 
to  room  delivering  the  morning's  mail.  At  some 
of  the  rooms  he  stopped  often ;  at  others  very 
seldom.  And  there  was  something  truly  pathetic 
in  the  call  which  was  heard  occasionally  after  he 
had  passed  some  disappointed  student's  door. 

"  No  mail  this  morning,  James  ? "  The  tone 
would  be  one  of  mingled  hope  and  doubt. 

"  Not  this  mornin',  sir ;  but  perhaps  I'll  bring  ye 
some  this  afternoon."  James  seemed  to  under- 
stand the  heart-hunger  which  took  possession  oi 
some  of  the  boys,  at  times,  when  letters  were  slow 
in  coming. 

The  floor  below  was  finished  and  the  postman 
was  now  coming  up-stairs.  David  mentally  fol- 
lowed his  progress  along  the  hall,  stopping  at 
most  of  the  doors,  but  passing  now  one,  now  an- 
other. He  paused  an  instant  before  their  door  ; 
the  click  of  the  letter  receiver  announced  to  David 
and  his  chum  that  some  mail  awaited  their  atten- 
tion. 

"  You're  in  luck,  this  morning,  old  man,"  said 


DAVID  BALDWIN  5 

Oswald,  as  he  gathered  up  the  mail  from  the 
floor. 

David  picked  up  the  two  letters  tossed  before 
him.  His  manner  was  listless  and  indifferent. 
There  could  be  no  mistaking  the  fact :  David  was 
blue.  He  tore  open  one  of  them,  without  noticing 
its  postmark.  It  was  from  Williams,  a  college 
classmate,  containing  an  invitation  to  supply  his 
pulpit  during  the  summer.  "  Mrs.  Williams  and 
your  namesake  have  extracted  a  promise  from  me 
to  take  a  little  rest  this  summer,"  he  wrote.  "  Of 
course,  the  youngster  didn't  do  much  talking,  but 
I  can  assure  you,  he  has  done  his  share  in  making 
me  feel  the  need  of  a  few  weeks'  vacation.  You 
know,  it  is  sometimes  said  that  there's  nothing  like 
•a  baby  to  light  up  a  home.  Well,  we've  experi- 
enced the  truth  of  that  statement — since  our  baby 
came,  our  house  has  been  lit  up — for  weeks  at  a 
time — all  night. 

"  How  is  everything  with  you  ?  My  three  years 
here  are  telling, — things  are  coming  my  way.  I 
should  have  written  you  sooner,  but  my  plans  were 
indefinite  until  yesterday.  But  I  hope  this  will 
reach  you  before  you  have  made  other  plans  for 
the  summer." 

"  Thank  gracious  ! "  exclaimed  Baldwin,  turning 
toward  his  friend.  "  At  last  I've  a  place  to  go 
when  this  graduating  week  is  past." 

Oswald  looked  up  from  the  letter  he  was  read- 
ing— he  always  received  a  letter  from  his  sweet- 
heart on  Thursdays. 


6  THE  MINISTRY  OF 

"  What  did  you  say  ?  "  he  asked. 

"  You  didn't  hear  what  I  said  ?  Of  course  you 
didn't — you  were  in  another  realm,"  glancing  at 
the  letter  in  his  hand.  "  I  was  saying  that  at  last 
I  have  somewhere  to  go  after  my  graduation. 
Williams  wants  me  to  supply  for  him  during  the 
summer  ;  Mrs.  Williams  and  he  and  their  young- 
ster are  going  to  rusticate  on  a  farm." 

"  Fortunate  fellow  !  "  exclaimed  Oswald.  "  Three 
years  ago  he  faced  the  world  on  the  same  footing 
with  us." 

"  And  I've  been  wondering  if  he  did  not  take 
the  wiser  course  ?  "  said  Baldwin. 

"  You  mean  his  entering  the  pastorate  at  once 
without  waiting  for  his  divinity  course  ?  "  asked 
Oswald,  glancing  at  some  of  the  pages  where  he 
had  discovered  the  two  or  three  sentences  which 
meant  more  to  him  than  all  the  rest  of  the  letter. 
For  he  had  learned  that  in  love  letters,  as  in  un- 
threshed  wheat,  not  every  particle  is  of  the  same 
value. 

"  Yes  :  now,  he  is  established  in  his  work  while 
we  have  not  yet  entered  upon  ours  ;  he  is  a  clergy- 
man known  throughout  his  state  as  a  safe  and  suc- 
cessful pastor,  while  we  are  only  divinity  students 
without  reputation,  without  experience." 

"  And  encumbered  with  the  suspicion  of  being 
doctrinally  unsound,"  added  Oswald.  "  But,  old 
man,"  said  he,  "  there  are  those  who  are  hunger- 
ing for  what  Williams  cannot  give.  Multitudes  of 
men  and  women  are  indifferent  to  the  church  to- 


DAVID  BALDWIN  7 

day  simply  because  it  is  repeating  a  message 
which  it  inherited,  the  underlying  conceptions  of 
which  mean  nothing  to  the  modern  man.  For  my 
part  I  prefer " 

But  Baldwin  had  opened  his  second  letter  and 
was  now  deep  into  its  contents,  quite  oblivious  to 
what  his  roommate  was  saying. 

"  Hello  1"  he  exclaimed,  jumping  to  his  feet,  his 
face  expressing  a  curious  mixture  of  emotions. 
"  Listen,  while  I  read  the  queerest  letter  you  ever 
heard." 

"  I'm  all  ears." 

Baldwin  began  — 

"  *  Tioga,  Minn.,  June  20,  190 — 
" '  REV.  DAVID  BALDWIN, 
'"  The  Divinity  School, 

"  'University  of  the  West. 
" '  DEAR  SIR  AND  BROTHER  : — I  am  writing 
you  to  state  that  at  a  recent  business  meeting  of 
the  First  Church  of  this  city  it  was  unanimously 
voted  to  extend  you  an  invitation  to  become  our 
pastor '  " 

"  Congratulations,  old  man  ! "  exclaimed  Oswald. 
"  So  you  call  that  the  queerest " 

"  Just  wait !  I  haven't  come  to  the  queer  part 
yet." 

He  continued  to  read. 

"  '  Owing  to  the  disturbance  in  our  church  life 
caused  by  the  marriage  of  our  former  pastor  to 
one  of  the  young  ladies  of  the  congregation ' " 


8  THE  MINISTRY  OF 

"  My !  but  this  is  getting  interesting,"  inter- 
rupted Oswald.  "  But  go  on  ;  go  on." 

"  ' the  church  voted  soon  thereafter  not  to 

settle  another  unmarried  pastor.'  " 

Baldwin  paused  an  instant  for  this  sentence  to 
have  its  full  effect  on  his  chum  who  was  slapping 
his  legs  and  roaring  with  laughter. 

"  '  In  extending  to  you  this  invitation,'  "  the  let- 
ter continued,  "  '  it  is  therefore  necessary  to  stipu- 
late that,  in  the  event  of  your  acceptance,  you  are 
to  come  to  us  a  married  man.' " 

This  combination  of  ideas  was  too  much  for 
Oswald.  His  laughter  passed  into  a  stage  beyond 
his  control.  He  would  stop  for  an  instant,  then 
lose  himself  again.  "  O  Lordy  !  Lordy  ! "  he  cried, 
using  an  expression  which  seemed  to  be  kept  in 
reserve  especially  for  such  occasions. 

When  his  friend  had  calmed  down  a  little,  Bald- 
win read  on  to  the  end  of  the  letter. 

"  '  Your  visits  to  us  last  winter  during  the  illness 
of  our  pastor  are  remembered  with  much  pleasure  ; 
and  it  is  the  earnest  hope  of  the  church  to  receive 
your  early  acceptance.  Our  salary  is  not  large — 
we  hope  to  increase  it  soon.  At  present  we  are 
able  to  pay  a  thousand  dollars  a  year.  We  give  our 
pastor  one  month's  vacation  during  the  summer. 

" '  There  have  been  some  divisions  in  our 
church  but  all  parties  unite  in  tendering  you  this 
call. 

"  '  By  order  of  the  First  Church  of  Tioga,  Minn. 

"  '  J.  E.  STRONG, 
"  '  Chairman  of  the  Standing  Committee.'  " 


DAVID  BALDWIN  9 

"  Well,"  asked  Baldwin,  "  what  do  you  think 
of  it  ?  " 

" Think?"  repeated  Oswald.^  "Why,  I  haven't 
been  able  to  think."  Only  with  great  effort  could 
he  restrain  himself  from  passing  into  another  fit 
of  laughter.  "  That  church  is  original  or  noth- 
ing," he  added. 

"And  I  scarcely  know  what  to  think,"  said 
Baldwin,  knitting  his  brow.  "  It  seems  as  if  the 
world  was  inviting  me  to  enter  all  of  its  lists  at 
once" 

"  If  you  should  want  a  substitute "  began 

Oswald. 

"  Well,  suppose  I  turn  the  whole  matter  over  to 
you — what  would  you  do?"  asked  Baldwin, 
thrusting  his  hands  into  his  pockets  and  facing 
the  other  inquiringly. 

"What  would  /  do?"  cried  Oswald,  pacing 
about  the  room.  "I'd  get  out  of  here  at  once  ! — 
my  packing,  well,  I  guess  you  could  take  care  of 
that — and  in  the  shortest  possible  time  Fd  meet 
the  stipulation  of  that  church.  By  dad  !  old  man, 
just  turn  the  whole  business  over  to  me  and  you'll 
see  what  I'd  do  with  it !  " 

"  Perhaps,"  said  Baldwin,  smiling,  "  you  would 
not  fill  the  bill — with  the  church,  I  mean." 

"  Of  course,  there's  the  rub ! "  and  he  drew  down 
the  corners  of  his  mouth.  "  But  seriously,  how 
does  the  whole  matter  appeal  to  you?" 

"  I  don't  see  how  I  can  take  it,"  Baldwin  replied 
somewhat  ambiguously.  "  You  know  how  matters 


10  THE  MINISTRY  OF 

stand  with  me.  Marriage  is  quite  out  of  the  ques- 
tion for  a  year  and  perhaps  longer." 

"  But  under  the  circumstances  ?  With  this  fine 
opportunity  of  settling." 

"  No,  even  under  the  circumstances,  I  could  not 
arrange  it.  I  have  absolutely  no  choice  in  the 
matter  but  to  wait.  You  know  Miss  Mathews : 
she  would  not  think  of  marrying  until  she  has  paid 
off  every  cent  of  her  school  debt" 

"  And  about  half  of  this  remains? — I  remember 
you  said  something  to  that  effect  the  other  day." 

"  Yes  ;  you  see  when  Miriam  was  graduated  at 
Vassar  last  June  she  had  a  school  debt  of  four  hun- 
dred dollars.  One  half  of  this  she  has  worked  off 
this  year." 

"  Good  1 "  exclaimed  Oswald.  "  I  fear  that  is  bet- 
ter than  you  or  I  could  have  done." 

"  And  her  plan  is  to  continue  in  her  present  posi- 
tion for  another  year, — she  has  a  good  position  in 
her  home  town  as  stenographer  for  Brown  and 
Brown." 

"  I  see,"  said  Oswald,  "  then  her  debt  will  be 
worked  off  by  the  end  of  another  year." 

"  Yes  ;  and  I  think  nothing  could  dissuade  her 
from  meeting  every  cent  of  her  debt  before  marry- 
ing," said  Baldwin,  dejectedly.  "  I  know  very  well 
what  it  means  when  she  has  once  made  up  her  mind 
to  do  or  not  to  do  a  thing,"  he  added,  signifi- 
cantly. 

"Without  doubt,"  began  Oswald,  "  she  will  carry 
out  her  present  plans  unless "  and  he  hesitated. 


DAVID  BALDWIN  11 

"Unless  what?"  interrupted  Baldwin  eagerly. 
It  had  not  occurred  to  him  that  there  could  be  any 
possible  alternative :  Miriam  had  made  her  plans 
and  would  certainly  continue  paying  off  her  in- 
debtedness. "  Unless  what  ?  " 

"  Unless  you  can  get  her  to  see,"  continued 
Oswald,  "  that  it  is  to  your  advantage  for  her  to 
do  otherwise." 

"What  do  you  mean?"  asked  Baldwin,  in  sur- 
prise. "  I  am  sure  it's  something  profound,  but  I 
cannot  quite  grasp  it." 

"Why  I  mean  just  this  :  a  woman  will  do  any- 
thing for  the  man  she  loves  when  she  sees  that  it 
is  plainly  for  his  advantage.  No,  this  is  not  an 
original  contribution  to  knowledge,"  he  added, 
laughing ;  "  I  read  it  somewhere." 

Baldwin  was  silent.  In  his  mind  a  new  idea 
was  struggling  into  form.  The  lines  about  his 
mouth  tightened ;  his  brow  gathered,  bringing 
into  sight  deep  furrows.  He  looked  hard  at 
something  on  the  rug  just  in  front  of  him.  Slowly 
his  intense  expression  grew  relaxed ;  the  look  in 
his  eye  changed  from  one  of  doubt  to  one  of  hope  ; 
his  face  became  suffused  with  emotion.  The 
transformation  was  little  short  of  marvelous !  A 
moment  ago,  dejection,  indifference  possessed 
him ;  now,  a  strange  hopeful  eagerness  lit  up  his 
countenance,  energizing  his  whole  body. 

"  Oswald,  old  man,  I  believe  you  are  right ! " 
he  exclaimed.  "  You  have  struck  one  shackle 
from  my  bondage.  But  I  am  still  fettered  by  an- 


12  THE  MINISTRY  OF 

other.  Leave  not  thy  work  half  undone ! "  he 
pleaded,  in  a  mock  heroic  tone. 

"  Show  me,  O  my  half  unshackled  friend, 
wherein  thy  bondage  lies,  and  trust  my  skill  to 
cleave  the  knot !  "  said  Oswald. 

"  You  have  opened  my  slow  eyes  to  see  that 
Miriam  may  change  her  plans, — that  a  woman 
will  do  anything  for  the  man  she  loves,  when  that 
act  is  for  his  advantage.  Now,  that  I've  stated 
the  idea,  it  seems  as  self-evident  as,  as — an  axiom 
in  geometry.  But  my  present  difficulty  is  to — to 

see  clearly  how  I  am  to "  and  Baldwin 

hesitated. 

"  To  make  her  see  that  this  is  really  to  your  ad- 
vantage— this  changing  of  her  plans  about  marry- 
ing before  meeting  the  remainder  of  her  school 
debt?"  interpreted  Oswald. 

"  Yes  ;  that's  it.  How  am  I  to  make  her  see  the 
advantage  ?  I  have  little  faith  in  my  own  per- 
suasive powers  when  Miriam  is  the  one  to  be 
moved." 

"My  boy,"  said  Oswald,  "there  is  an  adage, 
born  doubtless  of  such  occasions  as  this,  which 
says,  *  Love  will  find  a  way.' ' 

"You're  right!  I  believe  it  will!"  exclaimed 
Baldwin.  "I'm  free— both  shackles  gone!" 
There  was  confidence  in  his  tone.  "  Old  man,  I 
am  living  in  a  different  world  from  the  one  in 
which  I  existed  when  the  postman  came." 

Drawing  paper  to  him,  Baldwin  at  once  began 
to  write  as  follows : 


DAVID  BALDWIN  13 

"  Room  775,  Divinity  Hall, 
"  University  of  the  West, 

"June  21,  190 — 
"  MR.  J.  E.  STRONG, 

"  Chairman  Standing  Committee, 

"  First  Church,  Tioga,  Minn. 
"  MY  DEAR  BROTHER, — I  am  replying  to  your 
esteemed  favor  of  yesterday.     After  prayerful  con- 
sideration   " 

David  stopped.  Surely  that  phrase  "  prayerful 
consideration"  sounded  all  right.  Yes,  it  was  con- 
ventional, what  the  church  would  expect  him  to  use. 
Still  his  pen  hesitated.  "  No,"  said  he,  "  I  will  not 
use  it ;  I'll  be  honest.  God  helping  me,  I  will  be- 
gin and  end  my  relations  with  this  church  in  can- 
dor and  fidelity  to  the  truth  !  "  He  began  the  let- 
ter on  a  new  sheet. 

"  I  am  replying  to  your  esteemed  favor  of  yes- 
terday in  which  you  do  me  the  honor  of  inviting 
me,  in  behalf  of  your  church,  to  become  your 
pastor. 

"  I  have  considered  your  invitation  and  also  the 
stipulation  accompanying  the  same. 

"  To  know  that  you  still  remember  my  visits  of 
last  winter  affords  me  much  pleasure.  In  view  of 
the  impression  I  gained  of  your  church  life  and 
activity  while  among  you  then,  I  too  have  a  'con- 
dition '  which  I  wish  to  offer  for  the  church  to  con- 
sider, and  my  reply  to  your  invitation  will  be  de- 
termined, in  part  at  least,  by  your  answer  to  the 
following  question  :  Will  the  church  vote  to  adopt 
what  may  be  termed  in  general  a  modern  aggres- 
sive policy  ? 


14  DAVID  BALDWIN 

"  My  answer  to  your  invitation,  in  view  of  the 
unusual  condition  imposed  upon  me,  cannot  be 
given  at  once.  I  would  therefore  request  that  two 
months  be  given  me  ;  at  the  end  of  which  time  I 
will  be  able  to  state  whether  or  not  I  can  meet  your 
stipulated  condition. 

"  Thanking  you  for  the  honor  of  this  invitation, 
I  am, 

"  Respectfully  yours, 

"  DAVID  BALDWIN." 


II 

DAVID  BALDWIN'S  call  to  the  pastorate 
of  the  First  Church  of  Tioga  was  the  re- 
sult of  a  peculiar  combination  of  circum- 
stances. 

It  will  be  necessary  for  us  to  go  back,  in  point 
of  time,  to  a  memorable  business  meeting  of  the 
church,  several  weeks  earlier. 

Mr.  Brand  and  Deacon  Long,  two  of  the  most 
prominent  members  of  the  church,  were  in  earnest 
consultation  at  the  farther  end  of  the  lecture  room. 

"  Even  if  several  more  on  the  other  side  do 
come  in  later,  we  have  already  more  than  enough 
to  defeat  the  election,"  said  the  deacon,  in  a  low 
tone. 

"  But  it's  always  best  to  be  on  the  safe  side/1 
replied  Mr.  Brand,  in  the  same  low  tone.  "  I  was 
expecting  Driver  to  work  up  his  side  a  little 
stronger  than  he  has,  apparently." 

"  And  it  takes  a  three-fourths  vote,  too,  for  the 
election  of  a  pastor.  Amos  Driver  will  wish  he'd 
never  had  that  clause  inserted  in  the  by-laws." 
Deacon  Long's  usually  serious  face  relaxed,  not 
into  a  smile,  but  into  the  semblance  of  one. 

"  Yes,"  observed  Mr.  Brand,  "  it's  the  old  situ- 
ation of  the  calf  and  the  rope  over  again.  Though 
I  fought  that  clause  when  Driver  proposed  it,  it 
will  serve  our  purpose  and  not  his  to-night." 

15 


16  THE  MINISTRY  OF 

"  There  are  few  things  you  haven't  fought  when 
Amos  Driver  wanted  them,  I  guess,"  said  the 
deacon. 

"  But  there  is  no  sense  in  letting  one  man  run  a 
church,"  replied  Mr.  Brand,  stroking  his  beard. 
"  You  know,  deacon,  how  it  was  before  I  came 
here." 

"  Amos  Driver  certainly  had  things  pretty  much 
his  own  way,"  acknowledged  the  deacon. 

"Just  because  he's  got  more  money  than  any 
of  the  rest  of  us,  I  don't  propose  that  Driver  shall 
dictate  the  policy  of  this  church — not  so  long  as  I 
am  a  member  of  it." 

"  I  am  sure  Amos  Driver  don't  feel  that  way," 
said  the  deacon,  now  taking  the  part  of  his  neigh- 
bor. "  It's  just  his  way.  It's  as  much  his  nature 
as  breathing,  to  want  things  to  go  according  to 
his  own  notion.  But,  as  I  have  often  said  to  my 
wife,  we're  not  responsible  for  what's  born  in  us  ; 
it's  a  part  of  our  fallen  depravity." 

"  But  think  how  he  opposed  us  in  that  business 
meeting  four  weeks  ago  tQ-night !  And  all  be- 
cause the  meeting  hadn't  been  announced  from 
the  pulpit  the  preceding  Sunday  1  It  was  a 
disgrace  to  what  length  Driver  carried  things 
that  night.  But  it's  a  long  lane  which  has  no 
turn,"  said  Mr.  Brand,  nodding  his  head  signifi- 
cantly. 

"  But  the  by-laws  were  on  his  side  as  you  were 
forced  to  admit,"  said  the  deacon,  again  cham- 
pioning his  friend. 


DAVID  BALDWIN  17 

"  Well,  the  by-laws  are  on  my  side  to-night," 
rejoined  Mr.  Brand. 

Just  then  Amos  Driver,  watch  in  hand,  ap- 
proached the  Sunday-school  superintendent. 
"  This  meeting  was  announced  to  open  at  eight- 
thirty,"  said  he,  consulting  his  watch.  "  And  it's 
past  that  time  now."  His  tone  was  sharp  and 
abrupt. 

"  Perhaps  you  are  a  few  seconds  fast,  Brother 
Driver,"  replied  the  superintendent,  good-na- 
turedly, as  he  consulted  his  own  watch.  In  the 
absence  of  a  pastor,  it  was  his  duty  to  preside  at 
the  business  meetings  of  the  church. 

"  The  brethren  will  please  come  to  order,"  said 
he.  In  the  superintendent's  vocabulary  "  breth- 
ren "  was  undoubtedly  a  generic  term  including 
the  sisters  also  ;  for  there  were  fully  five  times  as 
many  women  as  men  before  him. 

The  hum  of  voices  gradually  ceased  as  the  lit- 
tle groups  breaking  up  now  settled  down  into  the 
straight-backed,  hard-bottomed  chairs,  in  which 
one  could  approach  a  comfortable  position  only 
by  putting  one's  feet  up  on  the  rounds  of  the  chair 
in  front.  Was  it  because  the  chairs  were  so  un- 
comfortable that  so  many  of  the  members  seemed 
to  enjoy  the  ten  minutes'  social  chat,  while  they 
stood  up  and  talked  to  one  another,  more  than 
they  did  the  hour  in  which  they  sat  down  and 
talked  to  the  Lord  ? 

Mr.  Brand  and  Deacon  Long  reluctantly 
stopped  their  conversation  and  were  the  last  to 


18  THE  MINISTRY  OF 

take  their  seats.  The  chairman  waited  a  mo- 
ment for  them  to  get  settled,  then  cleared  his 
throat  and  began. 

"  Brethren,  there  is  some  important  business  to 
come  before  us  this  evening,  the  nature  of  which 
was  indicated  in  the  notice  given  from  the  pulpit 
last  Sunday.  Will  the  clerk  please  read  that 
notice  now  ?  " 

A  young  man,  whose  expression  revealed  the 
beginnings  of  reflective  habits,  arose  from  the  side 
of  a  dark-haired  young  lady  in  the  audience,  came 
forward  to  a  little  table  near  the  chairman,  and 
read  the  following  notice  : 

"  In  accordance  with  the  requirements  of  section 
4,  article  6,  of  the  by-laws  of  this  church  and  so- 
ciety, notice  is  hereby  given  of  a  special  business 
meeting  of  this  church  and  society  at  the  close  of 
the  prayer-meeting  of  this  weqk,  to  consider  the 
calling  of  a  pastor. 

"  By  order  of  the  Standing  Committee, 

"J.  E.  STRONG,  Chairman. 
"  PAUL  GREEN,  Clerk." 

As  the  clerk  read  the  words  "  section  4,  article 
6,"  Cora  Stewart  gave  her  sister  Mary  a  vigorous 
nudge  with  her  elbow.  Mary,  who  carried  enough 
gravity  for  the  whole  family,  as  her  mother  had 
often  said,  turned  and  gave  her  sister  a  look  of 
dignified  rebuke,  though  she  afterward  acknowl- 
edged she  didn't  mean  anything  by  it.  The 
Stone  girls — there  were  six  of  them,  and  all  were 
present  this  evening,  though  at  the  usual  mid- 


DAVID  BALDWIN  19 

week  service  three  attended  one  week  and  three 
the  next — exchanged  knowing  looks  and  entered 
into  elbow  communications.  Miss  Adams  did  not 
smile.  She  always  took  the  business  meetings 
very  seriously. 

But  of  "  section  4,  article  6,"  we  shall  learn  more 
later. 

As  the  clerk  sat  down,  the  chairman,  looking 
over  the  audience,  said, 

"  Brethren,  what  is  your  pleasure  ?  " 

The  eyes  of  the  congregation  were  turned  on 
Amos  Driver  and  Mr.  Brand.  All  knew  that  the 
meeting  lay  in  the  hands  of  these  two  men,  sitting 
on  opposite  sides  on  the  front  row  of  chairs. 

"  Mr.  Chairman,"  said  Amos  Driver,  taking  the 
floor,  "  as  the  notice  of  this  meeting  was  duly 
given  out  from  the  pulpit  on  the  Sunday  preced- 
ing this  meeting,  we  are  legally  convened  in  busi- 
ness capacity  according  to  the  by-laws  of  this 
church  and  society.  You  all  know,"  he  contin- 
ued, "  that  I  am  hostile  to  any  attempt  to  transact 
the  business  of  this  church  in  meetings  not  legally 
convened  according  to  section  4,  article  6,  of  our 
by-laws,"  making  an  emphatic  gesture  with  his 
head  and  looking  in  the  direction  of  Mr.  Brand. 
"But  being  now  legally  called  together  for  the 
consideration  of  such  business,  and  only  such  busi- 
ness, as  was  named  in  the  announcement  of  this 
meeting,  I  move  that  we  at  once  proceed  to  cast 
an  informal  ballot." 

"  I  second  the  motion,"  said  Mr.  Brand. 


20  THE  MINISTRY  OF 

The  informal  ballot  was  taken,  a  young  in- 
structor in  the  University  and  a  young  lawyer, 
acting  as  tellers. 

"  Mr.  Chairman,"  said  the  clerk,  "  the  result  of 
the  ballot  stands  as  follows :  of  the  sixty  votes 
cast,  twenty-nine  are  for  Dr.  Thompson,  and 
thirty-one,  for  Rev.  John  Upham." 

A  painful  silence,  some  of  the  members  almost 
holding  their  breath,  ensued.  All  felt  that  the 
contest  was  on,  and  that  the  present  silence  was 
but  a  calm  before  the  storm. 

There  were  present  at  this  mid-week  service 
more  than  twice  the  usual  attendance.  As  this 
always  happened  when  a  business  meeting  was 
announced  to  follow  the  prayer  service,  we  cannot 
help  wondering  whether  this  increased  attendance 
indicated  that  the  members  cared  more  for  the 
business  interests  of  the  church  than  they  did  for 
the  opportunity  the  church  afforded  for  the  culti- 
vation of  the  spiritual  life.  But  it  would  hardly 
do  to  draw  such  a  conclusion,  else  we  might  un- 
wittingly carry  our  reasoning  one  step  further  and 
say  that  those  who  absented  themselves  from  all 
forms  of  the  mid-week  service,  were  interested  in 
neither  the  business  nor  the  spiritual  affairs  of  the 
organization  to  which  they  belonged  !  Into  what 
absurd  conclusions  logic  sometimes  takes  us  I 

But  the  business  meetings  of  this  church  had 
attained  for  themselves  a  reputation  of  being  in- 
teresting. Indeed,  Cora  Stewart  was  known  to 
have  said  she  had  rather  attend  a  church  business 


DAVID  BALDWIN  21 

meeting  than  to  go  to  a  circus.  Such  a  remark 
was  promptly  frowned  upon  by  her  elder  sister 
Mary,  who  sagely  observed  that  the  truth  should 
not  always  be  spoken,  that  sometimes  it  did  not 
sound  reverent.  At  this  her  sister  only  laughed. 

Nevertheless,  these  business  meetings  did  fre- 
quently pass  into  a  stage  in  which  the  word  "  inter- 
esting" was  altogether  too  mild  a  term  to  present 
an  adequate  description  of  them.  And  the  reason 
for  all  this  lay,  for  the  most  part,  in  the  peculiar 
quality  of  human  nature  embodied  in  our  two 
friends,  Amos  Driver  and  Sylvester  Brand. 

These  two  men  each  had  a  reputation  for  being 
decidedly  set  in  his  ways  and  opinions.  In  their 
church  relations  both  were  active  and  faithful 
members,  discharging  their  duties,  as  each  saw 
them,  with  far  more  than  the  usual  zeal.  In  fact 
the  loss  of  either  of  these  members  would  have 
been  a  severe  blow  to  the  church. 

In  the  business  meetings  of  the  church,  how- 
ever, it  was  positively  certain  that  some  disagree- 
ment would  always  arise  between  them.  Perhaps 
this  should  be  accounted  for  largely  by  the  fact 
of  their  very  dissimilar  temperaments.  Deacon 
Long,  however,  always  found  an  adequate  ex- 
planation for  the  disagreement  by  saying  that 
they  were  born  that  way,  and  that  they  couldn't 
help  it :  it  was  a  part  of  their  fallen  depravity. 

Amos  Driver  waited  until  the  formal  ballot  was 
taken,  and  the  result,  the  same  as  that  of  the  in- 
formal ballot,  was  announced  by  the  clerk.  Then 


22  THE  MINISTRY  OF 

he  arose,  walked  very  deliberately  into  the  open 
space  in  front  of  the  audience  near  the  chairman's 
desk,  and  stood  facing  the  rest  of  the  members. 
His  tall  figure,  held  in  perfect  poise,  gave  little 
evidence  of  his  seventy  years ;  from  his  eyes 
flashed  something  of  the  old  fire  with  which,  in 
his  younger  days,  in  committee  meetings  and  on 
the  floor  of  the  lower  House,  he  had  thrown  into 
confusion  many  a  political  opponent. 

"  Mr.  Chairman,"  said  he,  with  a  slight  inclina- 
tion of  his  head  toward  the  chair,  but  without  re- 
moving his  eyes  from  the  audience,  "  Mr.  Chair- 
man, I  rise  to  denounce  a  conspiracy."  The  tone 
in  which  these  words  were  uttered  was  charged 
with  ill  concealed  anger. 

The  lecture-room  was  becoming  transformed 
into  an  arena;  the  contest  was  now  beginning. 
Sister  Wood  sat  with  her  head  bowed  in  silent 
prayer.  For  over  forty  years  she  had  been  going 
through  these  business  meetings  and  well  she 
knew  the  indications  of  the  coming  outburst. 

"  We  have  met  here  this  evening,"  continued 
Amos  Driver,  "  legally  convened  together  accord- 
ing to  our  by-laws  to  consider  the  calling  of  a 
pastor.  And  now,  because  of  my  opposition  to 
Brother  Brand's  desire  to  transact  the  business  of 
this  church  in  a  meeting  not  legally  convened,  as 
he  would  have  done  four  weeks  ago  but  for  me, 
he  has  now  hatched  a  conspiracy,  yes,  I  said 
hatched,  hatched,  Brother  Brand,  you  have  hatched 
a  miserable,  contemptible  conspiracy  in  order  to 


DAVID  BALDWIN  23 

defeat  the  election  of  Dr.  Thompson  to  the  pas- 
torate of  this  church. 

"  Now,  I'm  not  going  to  say  anything  against 
Brother  Brand, — you  all  know  I  love  Brother 
Brand  and  that  he  loves  me,  and  that  he  is  one  of 
the  most  useful  men  in  our  church  and  we  couldn't 
get  along  without  him — yet  he  has  his  faults  like 
the  rest  of  us ;  and  one  of  them  is  that  he  always 
wants  his  own  way. 

"  As  I  was  saying,  we  are  legally  convened  to- 
gether to  elect  a  pastor.  I  came  here  this  evening 
expecting  a  unanimous  vote  for  Dr.  Thompson. 
Every  one  I  have  spoken  to  was  heartily  in  his 
favor.  Imagine  my  consternation,  yes,  consterna- 
tion, when  the  clerk  announced  thirty-one  votes 
for  the  Rev.  John  Upham  !  Why;  up  to  that  min- 
ute I  had  not  even  so  much  as  heard  that  any  one 
wanted  the  Rev.  John  Upham  to  be  pastor  of  this 
church  !  And  I  do  not  believe  that  Brother  Brand 
wants  him ;  I  do  not  believe  that  any  of  you  who 
were  influenced  by  Brother  Brand  to  vote  for  him, 
really  desire  the  Rev.  John  Upham  to  be  pastor  of 
this  church.  It's  nothing  but  a  conspiracy,  a  rank 
conspiracy,  to  defeat  the  election  of  a  gentleman, 
whom  many  of  us  would  be " 

"  I  rise  to  a  point  of  order,"  said  Mr.  Palmer, 
the  young  lawyer,  interrupting  Mr.  Driver. 

"  State  your  point,"  said  the  chairman. 

"  There  is  no  motion  before  us,"  said  he. 

"The  point  is  sustained,"  said  the  chairman, 
looking  from  Mr.  Brand  to  Amos  Driver,  who  still 


24:  THE  MINISTRY  OF 

held  the  floor.  "  If  the  brethren  wish  to  speak 
further,  we  must  first  have  a  motion  before  us." 

"  I  move  we  adjourn,"  said  Sister  Wood. 

"  Second  the  motion,"  said  the  Sister  Allen, 
nervously.  "  I  shall  have  one  of  my  terrible  head- 
aches if  I  stay  here  much  longer,"  she  added  in  an 
undertone  to  Miss  North,  who  sat  near  her. 

"  Let  us  vote  it  down,"  said  Cora  Stewart  to  the 
row  of  Stone  girls.  "  Why,  the  fun's  just  begun ! " 

"  All  in  favor  of  the  motion,  please  stand,"  said 
the  chairman.  About  fifteen  ladies  stood.  The 
motion  was  lost. 

"  Mr.  Chairman," — all  eyes  were  turned  toward 
Mr.  Brand — "  in  order  to  bring  the  matter  before 
us,  I  move  that  we  ballot  for  Dr.  Thompson." 

"  Second  the  motion,"  said  Deacon  Long. 

"  Now,  brethren,"  said  the  chairman,  "  there  is  a 
motion  before  us  :  are  there  any  further  remarks?  " 

"  Mr.  Chairman." 

"  Brother  Brand,"  said  the  chairman,  acknowl- 
edging the  speaker. 

"  Mr.  Chairman,"  Mr.  Brand  continued,  very 
calmly,  as  if  stating  a  matter  wholly  impersonal, 
"  I  have  the  honor  to  be  called  a  conspirator.  I 
suppose  this  is  owing  to  the  fact  that  I  differ  from 
Brother  Driver.  I  am  here  to  state  that  not  my- 
self alone  but  at  least  thirty  other  members  now 
present,  are  not  so  favorably  disposed  toward  call- 
ing Dr.  Thompson  to  the  pastorate  of  this  church 
as  you  are,  Brother  Driver. 

"  For  myself,  and  I  speak  for  others,  I  am  op- 


DAVID  BALDWIN  25 

posed  to  the  election  of  Dr.  Thompson  for  several 
good  reasons.  In  the  first  place,  Dr.  Thompson 
is  too  old  a  man  for  the  pastorate  of  our  church. 
Here  in  this  University  town  we  need  a  young 
man,  one  who  can  attract  the  students.  Why, 
there  are  more  than  one  hundred  students  of  our 
denomination  in  the  University,  scarcely  ten  of 
whom  attend  our  church.  Do  we  not  owe  it  to 
the  denomination  to  do  all  we  can  for  the  boys 
and  girls  who  come  here  from  all  over  the  state  ? 
Do  we  not  then  need  a  young  pastor,  one  in  the 
closest  sympathy  with  the  young  people  ? 

"  Further,  I  am  opposed  to  the  election  of  Dr. 
Thompson  because  he  is  not  in  favor  of  church 
suppers.  I  had  a  talk  with  him  on  this  subject 
and  he  expressed  himself  to  me  very  freely.  Of 
course  I  did  not  tell  him  which  side  of  the  ques- 
tion I  was  on.  Why,  we  have  the  finest  kitchen 
and  arrangements  for  giving  suppers  of  any 
church  in  this  city.  Last  year  the  Ladies'  Aid 
Society  netted  three  hundred  dollars  from  these 
suppers — a  convenient  source  of  revenue  as  many 
of  us  can  appreciate.  No,  sir ;  I'm  not  in  favor  of 
calling  any  man  to  the  pastorate  of  this  church 
who  expresses  himself  on  this  subject  as  Dr. 
Thompson  did  in  my  presence." 

"  If  Brother  Brand  had  as  many  dishes  to  wash 
every  day  as  we  have  at  our  house,"  said  one  of 
the  Stone  sisters  in  an  undertone  to  Miss  Irving, 
"  he  wouldn't  be  so  fond  of  church  suppers." 

"  Nor  if  he  had  to  do  the  begging  that  I  do 


26  THE  MINISTRY  OF 

every  time,"  replied  Miss  Irving  quickly.  Miss 
Irving  always  had  a  generous  share  of  this 
kind  of  "  church  work "  laid  upon  her  unwilling 
shoulders. 

4<  You  always  have  such  good  luck — people 
can't  refuse  you,  you  know,"  the  president  of  the 
Ladies'  Aid  Society  had  said.  And  there  was 
truth  in  the  remark — people  just  couldn't  refuse 
Miss  Irving. 

Meanwhile,  during  this  conversation  in  the  rear 
of  the  house,  Mr.  Brand  was  gliding  gracefully 
into  his  third  objection  to  poor  Dr.  Thompson. 
(Let  us  hope  his  ears  did  not  burn !) 

"  Neither  can  we,  as  one  of  the  smaller  churches 
of  the  city,"  said  he,  "  afford  to  ignore,  in  our  con- 
sideration of  this  subject,  a  fact  which  I  would  fain 
leave  unmentioned — Dr.  Thompson  has  a  very 
large  family — an  unusually  large  family  even  for 
a  pastor,  and  on  the  moderate  salary  we  can 
afford  to  pay,  he  could  not  live  in  that  part  of  the 
city  where  we  would  like  to  have  our  pastor  reside 
— rents  are  too  high.  He  would  need  too  large 
a  house.  And  the  social  standing  of  the  churches 
of  this  city  is  gauged  more  than  we  care  to  admit 
by  the  residence  of  the  pastor.  If  our  church  is 
ever  to  rise,  socially,  we  must  see  to  it  that  our 
pastor  rents  a  house  in  a  desirable  quarter  of  the 
city.  I  am  not  in  favor  of  Dr.  Thompson  because 
in  his  case  this  would  be  out  of  the  question, — his 
family  is  too  large ;  with  all  of  his  other  expenses 
he  could  not  afford  it. 


DAVID  BALDWIN  27 

"And,"  continued  Mr.  Brand,  pursuing  his  sub- 
ject mercilessly,  but  hesitating  as  if  loath  to  con- 
tinue in  the  performance  of  an  unwelcome  duty ; 
"I  have  heard  more  than  one  member  of  this 
church  state  that  she  did  not  like  Dr.  Thompson's 
appearance  in  the  pulpit.  One  lady  said  to  me, 
*  Dr.  Thompson  is  too  thick  and  too  short ;  he 
looks  too  much  like  a  butcher/  This  remark,  I 
grant,  may  be  carrying  a  criticism  too  far ;  but 
one  cannot  get  around  it — Dr.  Thompson  does 
lack  a  pleasing  appearance  in  the  pulpit.  Of 
course,  it  makes  little  difference  to  me,  personally  ; 
but  in  attracting  strangers  to  our  church  we  must 
have  a  preacher  of  pleasing  manners  and  pulpit 
appearance. 

"  As  I  said,  these  things  have  little  weight  with 
me  ;  but  in  our  consideration  of  such  an  important 
subject  as  the  calling  of  a  pastor,  we  should  keep 
in  mind  that  we  are  not  acting  for  ourselves 
alone.  Every  church  exists  to  minister  to  the 
needs  of  the  community.  And  there  are  any 
number  of  people  in  every  cultured  community 
who  do  not  enjoy  looking  at  a  preacher  whose 
over-studious  life  has  robbed  him  of  the  greater 
part  of  his  hair.  The  fact  that  Dr.  Thompson  is 
bald  cannot  but  make  him  less  attractive,  and  un- 
fortunately, less  desirable  as  a  pastor. 

"  Now,  while  I  have  no  desire  to  question  Dr. 
Thompson's  ability  to  guide  his  own  affairs,  I 
happen  to  have  heard  something  about  his  eldest 
son  which  I  do  not  care  to  repeat  in  this  presence. 


28  THE  MINISTRY  OF 

Young  men,  of  course,  will  be  young  men,  whether 
in  a  preacher's  family  or  anywhere  else.  But  it  is 
especially  unfortunate,"  here  the  speaker's  voice 
was  lowered  to  a  confidential  tone,  "when  any 
member  of  a  clergyman's  family  so  acts  that  the 
father  feels  his  own  usefulness  at  an  end  where  he 
is  now  living.  It  is  possible,  however,  that  Dr. 
Thompson  has  other  motives  for  wishing  to  leave 
his  present  pastorate.  But  this  probable  one  should 
not  be  passed  over  lightly  by  us. 

"  Further,  in  calling  a  pastor,  are  we  not  also 
bound  to  consider  the  fitness  of  the  pastor's  wife  ? 
Is  it  not  a  matter  of  common  observation  that  in 
the  ministry  the  pastor's  wife  often  counts  for  more 
than  the  pastor  himself  ?  I  am  sure  that  many  of 
us  have  known  personally  of  such  instances.  Is  it 
well,  then,  for  us  seriously  to  think  of  calling  to  the 
pastorate  of  this  church  a  clergyman  whose  wife  is 
almost,  if  not  quite,  an  invalid  ?  Invalidism  doubt- 
less brings  in  its  train  many  high  and  holy  com- 
pensations ;  but  it  unquestionably  unfits  a  clergy- 
man's wife  for  taking  that  social  leadership  of 
which  we,  as  a  church,  now  stand  so  much  in 
need. 

"  So  far  as  Dr.  Thompson's  scholarship  is  con- 
cerned," continued  Brother  Brand,  suavely,  "  it  is 
true  he  is  all  that  any  church  could  reasonably  de- 
sire ;  nevertheless,  in  view  of  what  I  have  said,  he 
certainly  is  not  the  man  for  the  pastorate  of  this 
church.  He  is  too  far  advanced  in  years,  his  per- 
sonal appearance  is  against  him,  his  family  is  too 


DAVID  BALDWIN  29 

large,  one  of  his  sons  is  in  bad  repute  where  they 
are  now  living,  his  wife  is  practically  an  invalid 
and  he  is  not  in  favor  of  church  suppers — he  told 
me  so  himself.  For  these  reasons,  and  others 
which  might  be  mentioned,  Mr.  Chairman,  I  am 
opposed  to  calling  Dr.  Thompson  to  the  pastorate 
of  our  church." 

Mr.  Brand,  glowing  with  the  feeling  of  triumph, 
sat  down.  Of  course,  what  he  had  said  was  in  be- 
half of  the  welfare  of  the  church  ;  yet  there  was  un- 
deniably a  certain  personal  gratification  in  getting 
the  better  of  the  man  who  had  worsted  him  four 
weeks  ago.  Dr.  Thompson  was  Amos  Driver's 
candidate,  and  to  show  the  reasons  why  Driver's 
candidate  should  not  be  the  choice  of  the  church, 
was  a  rare  morsel  to  Brand,  one  which  he  had 
rolled  over  and  over  again  under  his  tongue.  But 
his  opponent  was  not  to  be  silenced  by  one  broad- 
side. 

Instantly  Driver  was  on  his  feet,  pointing  his 
long  index  finger  directly  at  Brand,  and  piercing 
him  with  the  steady  look  of  his  steel  gray  eyes. 

"  Sylvester  Brand  I "  Driver  always  called  Brand 
by  his  Christian  name  when  the  discussion  had 
passed  to  an  exasperating  stage.  "  Sylvester 
Brand ! "  said  he,  shaking  his  long  finger  at  his 
opponent,  "  you  ought  to  be  the  last  man  on  earth 
to  find  fault  with  another  man's  looks  1  But  I  did 
not  start  out  to  make  a  speech  on  good  looks,  nor 
do  I  need  to  say  anything  of  Brand's  beauty :  a 
mere  allusion  to  the  subject  is  sufficient.  But  I  will 


30  THE  MINISTRY  OF 

say,  people  who  live  in  glass  houses  should  be  care- 
ful how  they  throw  stones  ;  yes,  Brother  Brand,  they 
should  be  very  careful  how  they  throw  stones.  It 
passes  my  understanding,  the  facts  being  as  they 
are,  how  any  man  utterly  devoid  of  good  looks 
can  find  fault  with  the  appearance  of  Dr.  Thomp- 
son. 

"And  as  for  Dr.  Thompson's  large  family,  of 
which  Brother  Brand  has  spoken  so  solicitously, 
fearing  lest  this  would  detract  from  some  fancied 
advantage  to  the  church,  I  say  that  this  whole 
matter  is  none  of  our  business,  neither  mine  nor 
Sylvester  Brand's.  If  Dr.  Thompson  is  blessed 
with  a  large  family,  shall  we,  a  body  of  Christian 
men  and  women,  think  him  unfit  to  preach  the 
Gospel  to  us  because  he  has  obeyed  the  divine  in- 
junction to  be  fruitful  and  multiply?  Would  you 
have  a  celibate  ministry  ?  Would  you  dictate  to  a 
clergyman  how  many  children  he  may  have  in 
order  to  be  acceptable  to  a  congregation  ?,  Why, 
Sylvester  Brand,  you  had  better  become  a  Catho- 
lic at  once.  But  personal  independence  is  a  prin- 
ciple of  our  denomination ;  and  as  long  as  it  so 
remains,  you,  Sylvester  Brand,  have  no  call  to  in- 
trude, yes,  I  say  intrude,  on  the  family  affairs  of 
the  ministry. 

"  As  the  members  of  this  church  know  very  well, 
I,  too,  am  hostile,"  continued  Driver  using  a  word 
which  he  had  frequent  occasion  to  employ  in  the 
business  meetings  of  the  church ;  "  I,  too,  am 
hostile  to  church  suppers.  I  always  have  been  and 


DAVID  BALDWIN  31 

I  always  will  be.  Every  time  I  see  a  lot  of  women 
here  a-working  themselves  sick  when  they  ought 
to  be  in  their  own  homes,  many  of  them  attending 
to  their  own  children,  I  say  to  myself :  what  a  lot 
of  geese — I  beg  the  pardon  of  the  ladies — what  a 
lot  of  geese  for  letting  Sylvester  Brand  get  them 
into  such  unprofitable  nonsense  !  For  if  there  is 
anything  that  does  not  pay,  it's  certainly  church 
suppers.  And  I'm  in  favor  of  Dr.  Thompson  for 
his  sensible  Christian  views  on  that  subject." 

Miss  Irving  nodded  her  head  approvingly. 

"  That's  just  what  I've  said  many  and  many  a 
time,"  she  whispered  to  Miss  Adams.  "  Brother 
Driver  is  right :  the  suppers  don't  pay.  If  we  didn't 
beg  our  supplies  we'd " 

"  Lots  of  fun  !  these  business  meetings,  aren't 
they  ?  "  whispered  Cora  Stewart  interrupting  Miss 
Irving. 

"  I  can't  see  where  the  '  fun '  comes  in,"  said 
staid  Miss  Appleton.  "  I  think  the  way  these  two 
men  carry  on  is  just  horrid  ! " 

"  And  I  say  so,  too ! "  quickly  observed  Miss 
Fenwick.  "  There's  nothing  Christian  about  it." 

While  these  and  other  opinions  were  being  ex- 
changed on  the  back  seats,  Amos  Driver  continued 
to  address  himself  to  the  audience  in  general  but 
specifically  to  Mr.  Brand. 

"  The  main  thing  we  want  in  a  pastor  is  sense, 
good  horse  sense," — rising  a  little  on  his  toes  and 
giving  an  emphatic  gesture  with  his  whole  body 
— "  and  Dr.  Thompson  has  sense  ;  he's  a  man  of 


32  THE  MINISTRY  OF 

ripe  experience — and  as  for  being  too  old,  why 
he's  not  a  day  over  fifty-five,  just  in  his  prime. 
Dr.  Thompson  is  just  about  your  own  age,  Syl- 
vester Brand,  and  you're  one  of  the  most  ener- 
getic men  in  this  city.  It's  all  nonsense,  this 
wanting  a  younger  man.  Why,  we  have  just  had 
a  young  pastor,  a  young  unmarried  man,  and  see 
what  a  disturbance  he  caused  in  this  church  ! 
There  was  no  rest  nor  peace  until  he  got  married. 
I  never  could  understand  why  unmarried  ministers 
should  cause  so  much  disturbance  in  a  church  I 
But  they  always  do.  Of  the  twenty-four  pastors 
we've  had  since  I've  been  a  member  of  this  church, 
which  will  be  fifty-three  years  come  next  October, 
four  were  sin'gle  men  ;  and  it's  been  the  same  in 
every  case — more  or  less  disturbance  in  the  con- 
gregation. 

"  No,  sir  ;  I'm  not  in  favor  of  calling  a  young 
man.  Why,  the  young  ministers  of  to-day  don't 
know  what  they  believe.  Not  that  I'm  narrow  or 
think  an  opinion  is  always  right  simply  because 
it  has  been  held  in  the  past ;  for  there  are  some 
of  the  old  doctrines  which  I  myself  do  not  accept, 
especially  the  Calvinistic  doctrine  of  Election. 
Yet,  I  want  a  pastor  who  has  settled  down  to  a 
few  plain,  sensible  convictions — just  such  a  man  as 
Dr.  Thompson. 

"  Sylvester  Brand  ! "  the  old  gentleman's  eyes 
flashed  as  he  lifted  his  long  index  finger  and 
pointed  it  at  the  person  addressed,  "  I  charge  you 
with  deliberately  conspiring  to  defeat  the  election 


DAVID  BALDWIN  33 

of  Dr.  Thompson  to  the  pastorate  of  this  church  1 
Your  objections  to  him  are  nonsense,  sheer  non- 
sense 1  It  passes  my  understanding  how  a  Chris- 
tian man  of  your  parts,  with  the  judgment  you 
ordinarily  manifest,  can  act  so  stupidly,  can  be  so 
utterly  devoid  of  sense  when  it  comes  to  the  busi- 
ness affairs  of  the  church.  I  have  known  few 
men,  Sylvester  Brand,  more  obstinate.  You  are 
always  opposing  something  which  the  rest  of  us 
want.  One  would  think  that  you  felt  called  on  to 
run  this  church  according  to  the  notion  of  Sylves- 
ter Brand  !  That  kitchen  and  the  rest  of  this  eat- 
ing tomfoolery  we  have  to  thank  you  for.  And 
it's  a  curse  to  the  church  ;  yes,  sir,  a  curse  to  the 
church  1 

"  And  to  think  that  this  church  is  defeated  in  its 
desire  to  call  Dr.  Thompson,  just  because  of  your 
unchristian  opposition !  I  suppose  you  think  you 
are  serving  the  Lord  by  opposing  Dr.  Thompson's 
election.  But  let  me  tell  you,  Sylvester  Brand,  ac- 
cording to  my  light,  you're  doing  no  such  thing  ; 
you're  bent  on  getting  even  with  me  for  not  letting 
you  go  on  with  your  meeting  four  weeks  ago. 
But  you  needn't  think  because  you've  got  the  best 
of  me  to-night  that  I'm  going  to  step  aside  and 
let  you  run  this  church.  I've  been  a  member  here 
too  long — fifty-three  years  come  next  October, — 
I've  contributed  five  times,  yes  ten  times  as  much 
to  this  church  as  you  ever  have.  And  yet  you 
seem  to  think  because  you're  twenty  years  younger 
than  I  am,  you  know  what  is  best  for  the  good  of 


34  THE  MINISTRY  OF 

this  church.  Doubtless  you  are  the  people,  Syl- 
vester Brand,  and  wisdom  will  die  with  you." 

A  torrent  of  heated  words  was  rushing  to  the 
old  gentleman's  lips  as  he  sat  down,  thoroughly 
carried  away  by  the  rising  tide  of  his  ungovern- 
able passion.  His  breath  came  quick  and  labored  ; 
his  eyes  flashed  ;  his  whole  frame  quivered  with 
rage.  Standing,  he  was  an  object  for  admiration 
— a  fountain  from  which  an  irresistible  stream  of 
energy  flowed  forth.  But  as  soon  as  he  sat  down, 
he  became  an  object  of  pity.  Poor  Amos  Driver ! 
for  the  next  two  weeks  you  will  have  to  wrestle  in 
your  wilderness,  with  your  legions  of  devils,  chief 
among  which  will  be  sleeplessness  and  indigestion. 

Fortunately,  Mrs.  Driver  was  not  present  at  the 
meeting.  She  was  a  cultivated  woman  of  fine 
Christian  spirit ;  and  she  had  learned  years  before 
not  to  interfere  with  her  husband. 

"  Mr.  Chairman,"  said  Mr.  Brand,  rising  imme- 
diately, "I  am  sure " 

But  the  meeting  was  breaking  up  in  confusion. 

"  I  just  can't  stay  here  any  longer ! "  exclaimed 
Mrs.  Allen,  as  she  withdrew  with  Miss  North. 
"  I'll  be  sick  from  this  meeting,  now.  These  busi- 
ness meetings  always  do  bring  on  one  of  my  nerv- 
ous headaches." 

"  And  it's  no  wonder ! "  said  Miss  North. 

"  How  can  we  expect  our  church  to  grow  when 
we  have  such  scenes?"  asked  Miss  Adams  of 
Elvira  Stone. 

"What  made  you  people  begin  to  go  out?" 


DAVID  BALDWIN  35 

asked  Cora  Stewart.  "  I  wanted  to  stay  for  the 
next  act.  A  circus,  wasn't  it  ?  " 

"  Not  quite  up  to  the  one  four  weeks  ago,"  said 
Mr.  Palmer,  as  he  joined  the  group. 

As  Mrs.  Strong  was  leaving  the  lecture  room 
with  her  husband,  she  passed  near  where  Mr. 
Brand  and  Deacon  Long  were  quietly  chatting, 
apparently,  as  if  they  had  not  been  the  means  of 
throwing  a  church  meeting  into  a  state  of  hope- 
less confusion. 

"  You  men  should  be  ashamed  of  yourselves  1 " 
she  cried.  "  You  seem  to  delight  in  scrapping  as 
much  as  little  boys  do."  She  placed  a  hand  on 
Mr.  Brand's  arm  and  looked  searchingly  into  his 
face.  "  Do  you  feel  that  you  have  been  manifest- 
ing the  Christ  spirit  to-night  ?  "  she  asked,  looking 
from  one  to  the  other ;  and  without  waiting  for  a 
reply,  she  passed  on  with  her  husband  to  the  door. 


Ill 


SUNDAY  after  Sunday  passed,  bringing  to 
the  pulpit  various  candidates  and  supplies. 
The  number  of  clergymen  wishing  to  ap- 
pear before  the  church  seemed  almost  limitless. 
Very  few,  however,  had  written  in  their  own  be- 
half ;  nearly  all  had  asked  some  brother  clergyman 
to  bring  their  names  to  the  notice  of  the  church. 

"  Nine  new  names,  this  week,"  said  the  clerk, 
laying  a  package  of  letters  on  the  table  in  the 
church  parlor,  where  the  Standing  Committee 
were  gathered  for  their  meeting  that  evening. 
"  If  this  keeps  on/'  added  Paul,  laughing,  "  I  shall 
soon  be  in  need  of  a  secretary." 

"  One  with  dark  hair,  who  can  write  shorthand," 
laughed  Mr.  Strong,  quickly  following  up  the  op- 
portunity Paul's  remark  had  opened. 

"  Certainly,"  replied  the  young  man,  doing  his 
best  to  cover  his  embarrassment ;  "I'd  want  an 
expert  stenographer — none  other  would  do.  And 
as  for  the  color  of  her  hair,"  pushing  his  fingers 
through  his  own  red  locks,  "  black  is  one  of  the 
indispensables." 

Miss  Adams  looked  up  from  her  crocheting,  her 
fingers  keeping  on  busily  with  their  work,  while 
she  entered  heartily,  in  her  quiet  way,  into  the  en- 

36 


DAVID  BALDWIN  37 

joyment  the  rest  of  the  committee  were  having  at 
Paul's  expense. 

"Are  we  all  here?"  asked  the  chairman,  look- 
ing around  the  room.  "  All  but  Deacon  Long," 
ha  added. 

"  We  can't  wait  for  the  deacon,"  said  Amos 
Driver,  impatiently  consulting  his  watch.  "It's 
time  to  begin.  I  want  to  get  home  before  it  gets 
too  late." 

"Very  well,"  replied  Mr.  Strong;  "we'll  not 
wait.  Perhaps  the  deacon  may  come  in  later. 
We  shall  proceed  at  once  to  the  reading  of  the 
letters  received  since  our  last  meeting." 

"  The  first  one,"  said  the  clerk,  unsheathing  the 
letter  from  its  envelope,  "  is  from  the  pastor  of  the 
First  church  of  Palmyra,  Minnesota.  He  writes  : 

" '  BRETHREN  :  In  view  of  the  vacancy  in  your 
pulpit  I  am  writing  to  you  to  commend  to  your 
notice  the  Rev.  James  Armstrong,  a  personal 
friend  of  mine,  now  pastor  of  the  First  church  of 
Norwich,  Conn.,  a  man  whose  gifts  and  training 
give  him  a  peculiar  fitness,  in  my  judgment,  to 
meet  with  more  than  ordinary  success  the  exact- 
ing demands  of  your  pulpit,  located  as  it  is  under 
the  shadow  of  a  large  university. 

"  '  Mr.  Armstrong  has  been  a  successful  pastor 
in  the  East  for  some  ten  years ;  but  like  myself 
and  many  other  brother  clergymen,  he  has  come 
to  feel  that  there  is  a  larger  freedom  of  utterance 
in  the  pulpits  of  the  West.  Though  the  salary 
you  pay  at  present  is  much  less  than  what  Mr. 
Armstrong  is  now  receiving,  I  happen  to  know 
that  this  fact  would  make  no  difference  with  him ; 


38  THE  MINISTRY  OF 

for  he  desires  at  almost  any  pecuniary  sacrifice  to 
exchange  his  present  location  for  one  where  he 
can  deliver  his  message  with  freedom. 

"  '  I  am  writing  freely  to  you  of  his  reasons  for 
wanting  to  come  West,  because,  from  your  loca- 
tion in  a  University  town,  it  occurred  to  me  that 
your  church  would  offer  just  the  opportunity  he 
now  desires. 

" '  Mr.  Armstrong  is  a  thoroughly  up  to  date, 
progressive  man.  He  is  a  writer  of  recognized 
ability  as  you  will  see  from  the  enclosed  reviews 
of  two  of  his  volumes. 

"  '  Believe  me,  as  ever, 

"  '  Sincerely  yours, 

" '  H.  W.  HENDRICK.'  ' 

"  That's  the  kind  of  letter  I  like,"  said  Mrs. 
Terry.  "  It's  plain  and  to  the  point." 

"  Yes  ;  and  I  think  we  need  just  such  a  man," 
said  Mr.  Strong.  "  Our  pastors  have  been  too 
conservative ;  we've  lost  a  number  of  University 
families  who  now  attend  other  churches  simply 
because  our  preaching  has  been — well,  because  in 
other  churches  it  is  easy  to  find  something  more 
modern." 

"  These  families  you  speak  of  have  gone  doubt- 
less where  they  belong,"  said  Brother  Brand 
quickly.  "If  they  had  belonged  to  us  they  would 
have  enjoyed  our  preaching  and  stayed  with  us." 

"  Mr.  Hendrick  seems  to  take  our  liberality  for 
granted,"  said  Mrs.  Wood,  smiling. 

"  Yes,"  replied  Miss  Adams,  without  losing  the 
count  of  her  stitches. 


DAVID  BALDWIN  39 

"  Perhaps  if  he  knew  us  better,  he  would  change 
his  opinion,"  continued  Mrs.  Wood. 

"  Yes,"  again  assented  Miss  Adams,  her  atten- 
tion divided  between  her  crocheting  and  the  con- 
versation about  her.  In  any  other  woman  this 
would  have  been  intolerable  ;  but  in  Miss  Adams 
it  was  different.  A  little  work-bag  always  accom- 
panied her  to  committee  meetings,  church  socials, 
coffees,  and  to  all  other  church  gatherings  during 
the  week  except  the  midweek  prayer-service. 

"  This  review  speaks  very  highly  of  Mr.  Arm- 
strong's book,"  said  Mr.  Driver,  passing  it  on  to 
Mrs.  Terry. 

"  '  Permanent  and  Temporary  Elements  in  the 
Teaching  of  Paul/"  read  Mrs.  Terry.  "  That's 
an  interesting  title." 

"  But  do  you  not  notice  that  the  clipping  is 
from  a  Unitarian  periodical  ? "  asked  Brother 
Brand. 

"Is  it?" 

"  Yes." 

"  *  Can  any  good  thing  come  out  of  Nazareth  ? ' ' 
asked  Mrs.  Wood,  the  least  suspicion  of  sarcasm 
in  her  tone.     Mrs.  Wood's  only  sister  was  a  Uni- 
tarian.    "  Of  course  the  book  is  heretical,  being 
favorably  reviewed  in  a  Unitarian  paper  1 " 

"  Shows  at  least  its  affinity,"  said  Brand. 

"  I  should  like  to  read  that  book ! "  exclaimed 
Mrs.  Terry,  as  she  finished  the  reviews.  "  I  think 
I  shall  send  for  a  copy.  Why,  I  never  could 
agree  with  all  that  Paul  teaches.  It  certainly  is 


40  THE  MINISTRY  OF 

reasonable  to  hold  that  there  is  an  element  in  his 
teachings  which  applied  only  to  the  conditions  of 
his  day." 

"  For  instance,  his  remark  about  women  speak- 
ing in  meeting,"  said  Driver,  glad  of  the  chance 
to  join  with  the  ladies  against  Brand. 

"  Yes  ;  and  I  think  some  of  his  doctrinal  state- 
ments were  colored  by  the  prevailing  atmosphere 
and  expectations  of  his  day,"  continued  Mrs. 
Terry,  warmly. 

"  But  how  can  that  be,  when  Paul  was  inspired  ?  " 
asked  Miss  Adams,  for  the  moment  forgetting  her 
crocheting. 

"  Yes,"  said  Brand,  "  if  the  Bible  is  inspired, 
it's  inspired,  every  word  of  it  from  Genesis  to 
Revelations." 

"  Granting  Paul's  inspiration,  couldn't  there 
still  be  a  temporary  element  in  his  teaching?" 
asked  the  clerk,  who  was  expecting  to  enter  the 
ministry. 

Mrs.  Terry  looked  at  him  gratefully  and 
continued. 

"  Yes,  why  couldn't  he  be  inspired  to  deliver  a 
message  with  a  temporary  significance  as  well 
as  one  whose  significance  and  value  were  per- 
manent ?  " 

"  It's  not  a  question  what  Paul  might  or  might 
not  have  done,"  replied  Brand,  severely ;  "  it's  a 
question  of  the  authority  of  God's  Word.  If  once 
we  begin  to  say,  'This  is  temporary  and  that's 
permanent/  we've  robbed  the  Word  of  God  of  its 


DAVID  BALDWIN  41 

divine  authority.  Might  as  well  have  no  Bible  at 
all !  For  each  of  us  would  throw  out  as  a  '  tem- 
porary element'  whatever  didn't  suit  him." 

"  No ;  not  throw  it  away,  but  interpret  it  in 
view  of  the  conditions  under  which  it  was  written,'1 
said  Mrs.  Wood. 

"  That  is  exactly  what  we  women  have  to  do  with 
many  of  Paul's  statements,"  added  Mrs.  Terry. 

"  And  is  it  not  what  we  all  do  with  practically 
all  of  the  Old  Testament  ?  "  asked  Mr.  Strong. 

"  Certainly !  "  said  Mrs.  Terry.  "  Nor  does  this 
destroy  our  belief  in  the  Bible,  either." 

"  It's  a  dangerous  position  to  hold,"  persisted 
Brand.  "  Ultimately  it  will  land  one  in  Unitarian- 
ism  ! " 

"  I've  held  it  for  twenty  years,"  replied  Mrs. 
Terry,  warmly;  "and  I'm  just  as  good  a  church 
member  as — as  you  are ! "  Her  voice  was  trem- 
bling in  spite  of  her  efforts  to  appear  undisturbed. 
4<  I  never  could  see  the  reason  why  liberal  views 
may  not  be  held  by  us  as  well  as  by  Unitarians, 
or  any  other  denomination,"  she  added,  looking 
around  the  room  as  if  inviting  support. 

Mr.  Strong  was  an  excellent  chairman.  His 
unfailing  good  nature  and  his  keen  sense  of  humor 
enabled  him  frequently  to  divert  the  brethren  from 
threshing  over  too  often  old  straw  from  which  the 
last  kernel  had  long  since  been  flailed. 

"  I  believe,"  said  he,  smiling,  "  we  are  discussing 
Mr.  Hendrick's  letter.  What  is  your  pleasure  con- 
cerning it  ?  " 


42  THE  MINISTRY  OF 

"  I  move  that  Mr.  Armstrong's  name  be  placed 
on  our  *  approved  list/  "  said  Mrs.  Terry.  The 
motion  was  carried,  though  Mr.  Brand  and  Deacon 
Long  voted  in  the  negative,  and  Miss  Adams  did 
not  vote  either  way. 

The  clerk  entered  Mr.  Armstrong's  name  be- 
neath twenty-three  others,  and,  returning  the  letter 
to  its  envelope,  numbered  it  on  the  back,  sixty- 
seven,  which  meant  that  the  committee  had  pre- 
viously read  and  discussed  sixty-six  letters  of 
similar  import  as  the  one  just  added  to  the  pile. 
From  these  sixty-six  communications  the  com- 
mittee had  selected  twenty- three  names  for  further 
consideration.  Already  the  first  fifteen  clergymen 
on  this  approved  list  had  been  before  the  church, 
supplying  the  pulpit  from  one  to  two  Sundays 
each. 

"  The  next  letter,"  said  the  clerk  unfolding  the 
typewritten  sheet  before  him,  "  is  from  Dr.  Porter, 
Chairman  of  the  Board  of  Recommendations,  of 
the  Divinity  Faculty,  of  the  University  of  the 
West.  He  writes : 


"  '  MY  DEAR  BRETHREN  : — From  an  item  in 
the  Weekly  I  learn  that  you  are  still  without  a 
pastor.  You  are  doubtless  acting  wisely  in  wait- 
ing so  long  for  the  right  man.  Too  many  churches 
act,  in  this  important  matter,  wjth  undue  haste  and 
reap  consequences  painful  to  themselves ;  for  in 
selecting  a  pastor,  as  in  buying  a  pair  of  shoes, 
few  things  are  more  painful  than  a  misfit. 

"'I  should  have 'written  to  you  before,  had  it 


DAVID  BALDWIN  43 

not  been  that  it  is  our  policy  to  locate  our  students 
as  far  as  possible  in  churches  smaller  than  yours. 
In  this  way  the  inevitable  mistakes  of  the  young 
pastor  are  kept  in  the  background,  as  they  could 
not  be  if  our  students  at  once  entered  upon  more 
conspicuous  fields. 

"  *  But  in  the  event  of  your  not  having  been  able 
during  the  past  six  months  to  decide  on  a  pastor,  I 
now  feel  called  upon  to  write  you.  From  the  nature 
of  our  student  body,  coming  as  the  young  men  do 
from  all  over  the  world,  we  are  able  to  suit  the  de- 
mands of  different  types  of  churches.  We  endeavor 
to  know  our  men  as  a  merchant  knows  his  wares, 
so  that  when  a  church  tells  us  what  it  wants  we  can 
make  the  selection  accordingly.  Few  things  are 
more  distressing  to  us  than  misfits — a  liberal  man 
in  a  conservative  pulpit,  or  vice  versa  ;  or  a  man  of 
scholarly  habits  and  tastes  where  the  people  want 
most  of  all  a  pastor  fond  of  making  calls  ;  or  a  man 
who  would  like  to  spend  most  of  his  time  in  making 
calls,  in  a  church  which  cares  only  to  see  its  pastor 
in  the  pulpit,  and  demands  good  scholarly  sermons. 

"  '  Now,  if  you  will  indicate  what  type  of  pas- 
tor you  wish,  whether  married  or  single — some 
churches  are  very  particular  on  this  point, — liberal 
or  conservative,  a  man  of  scholarly  habits  or  one 
who  cares  more  to  be  among  people  than  books, 
one  inclined  to  sociology — we  are  beginning  to 
make  a  specialty  of  this  type  as  it  is  freer  from 
theological  eccentricities  and  less  apt  to  dwell  on 
disputed  doctrinal  questions — or  one  inclined  to 
literature,  or  to  foreign  missions,  a  man  who 
studies  the  Bible  in  the  original  languages  and 
reads  the  revised  version  in  the  pulpit,  or  one 
who  uses  only  the  King  James'  version,  a  man 
who  reads  his  manuscript  or  who  speaks  from 


44  THE  MINISTRY  OF 

notes — in  fact,  brethren,  let  us  know  what  you 
want  and  we  will  do  our  best  to  select  a  man  of 
such  qualities,  temperament,  training,  family,  age, 
and  theological  convictions  as  you  may  desire. 
"  '  Awaiting  an  opportunity  to  serve  you,  I  am, 
"  '  Obediently  yours, 

"  '  M.  B.  PORTER.'  ' 

"  That  letter  contains  sense  ! "  exclaimed  Driver. 
"Good  common  sense,"  he  added,  reaching  his 
long  arm  across  the  table.  The  clerk  placed  the 
letter  in  his  hand.  "  It's  nonsense,  sheer  non- 
sense, this  trusting  the  Lord  to  send  us  the  right 
man  1  I've  always  said  that  since  the  Lord  has 
given  us  brains  he  expects  us  to  use  them,  in  the 
election  of  a  minister  as  well  as  in  the  buying  of 
a  horse." 

"  But,"  interposed  Deacon  Long,  pained  by  the 
words  which  sounded  to  his  ears  very  like  sac- 
rilege, "calling  a  minister  is  different  from  buying 
a  horse  ;  it's  the  Lord's  work  ;  *  and  how  shall 
they  preach  except  they  be  sent  ? '  " 

"  Upon  your  theory,  Deacon,"  said  Driver  with 
his  characteristic  impatience  with  Deacon  Long, 
"  the  Lord  is  interested  in  only  a  mighty  little  of 
what's  going  on." 

"  Do  you  call  the  salvation  of  immortal  souls  a 
trifling  affair?"  asked  the  deacon,  almost  choking. 

"  If  you  give  the  words  the  meaning  they  ought 
to  have,  certainly  not,"  replied  Driver.  "  But  it  is 
nonsense  to  think  that  God  is  interested  only  in 
church  work  !  I  wouldn't  want  anything  to  do 


DAVID  BALDWIN  45 

with  such  a  God."  His  tone  and  expression  con- 
veyed even  more  meaning  than  his  word.  "  Why, 
some  men  so  belittle  the  Deity  by  their  narrow, 
bigotted  conceptions  of  him  that  I  wonder  he  lets 
them  live.  When  you  wake  up  in  the  other 
world,  Deacon,  I  suspect  you'll  be  surprised  to 
find  that  God  is  interested  in  many  more  things 
than  you  ever  dreamed  of." 

"  I  get  my  idea  of  God,"  rejoined  the  deacon, 
"from  the  Bible ;  I  have  no  desire  to  feed  on  the 
ungodly  wisdom  of  this  world,  as  some  do.  *  Hath 
not  God  made  foolish  the  wisdom  of  this  world  ? ' ' 

Mr.  Driver  arose  from  his  chair  and  began 
pacing  up  and  down  the  room,  without  deigning 
to  reply.  Driver  never  could  sit  still  very  long 
while  discussing  any  matter  with  the  deacon. 
There  was  something  in  the  deacon's  manner  or 
in  the  spirit  of  his  replies  which  seemed  to  make 
Driver  always  want  to  walk  the  floor  while  talk- 
ing with  him. 

During  the  interval  of  silence,  Miss  Adams,  un- 
winding her  worsted  a  little,  remarked  : 

"  This  Divinity  School  must  be  a  very  interest- 
ing place." 

"  It  certainly  is  ! "  exclaimed  Brand.  "  They 
have  Unitarians,  and  Universalists,  and  Catholics, 
and  Lutherans,  Presbyterians,  Methodists,  Bap- 
tists, Congregationalists,  Disciples  all  mixed  up 
together!  Is  it  any  wonder  in  such  a  mixture, 
our  young  ministers  get  to  holding  all  sorts  of 
unscriptural  beliefs?  Why,  it's  the  most  natural 


46  THE  MINISTRY  OF 

thing  in  the  world  for  them  to  become  like  their 
associates.  After  living  in  such  a  mottled  atmos- 
phere for  three  years,  the  marvel  is  that  any  of 
them  remain  true  to  any  creed." 

"  Then  you  think  that  this  Divinity  School  is 
doing  our  denomination  harm?"  asked  Mrs. 
Wood. 

"  Harm  ?  "  cried  Brand,  excitedly.  "  Why  it 
couldn't  do  us  more  harm.  If  I  know  anything 
about  it,  it's  undermining  the  very  foundation  of 
our  existence  ! "  He  spoke  with  deep  feeling  and 
earnestness. 

"Indeed?" 

"  Yes  ;  and  the  churches  are  beginning  to  find 
it  out,  too.  Why,  there  are  any  number  of  churches 
already  which  will  not  permit  a  graduate  from  this 
school  to  enter  their  pulpit." 

"  Indeed  ?  I  had  not  heard  of  this  before.  Pray 
what  is  it  that  makes  the  school  so  dangerous  ?  " 

"  Oh,  one  can't  exactly  name  it :  the  fact  is  the 
whole  Divinity  School  is  out  of  harmony  with  our 
inherited  conceptions  and  doctrines.  For  one 
thing,  all  the  professors  are  Higher  Critics," — 
Mr.  Brand  pronounced  the  words  "higher  critics" 
with  the  same  intonation  he  would  have  used  in 
uttering  the  name  of  something  exceedingly  dia- 
bolical. 

"  Are  you  sure,  Brother  Brand,  that  all  the  pro- 
fessors there  are  Higher  Critics  ?  "  asked  Deacon 
Long,  doubtfully.  "  I  thought  at  least  some  of 
them  were  Christians." 


DAVID  BALDWIN  47 

"  But  may  not  a  person  be  a  Higher  Critic  and 
also  a  Christian  ?  "  asked  Paul  Green. 

"  I  do  not  so  understand  it,"  replied  Deacon 
Long.  "  The  Higher  Critic  seeks  to  destroy  our 
faith  in  the  Bible.  He  cuts  it  to  pieces ;  he  tears 
it  up ;  he  explains  away  this ;  he  throws  out  that ; 
he  would  destroy  the  whole  Bible  if  he  could.  And 
can  such  a  minded  person  be  a  Christian?"  Ob- 
viously, from  the  deacon's  tone  there  could  be 
but  one  answer  to  his  question. 

"I'm  not  quite  clear  on  the  subject,  myself," 
said  Mrs.  Terry.  "  But  Pm  sure,  Deacon  Long, 
you  carry  your  opinions  a  little  too  far." 

"  Impossible  !  It's  impossible  to  go  too  far  in 
defending  the  Word  of  God,"  cried  the  deacon. 

"  But  we're  all  liable  to  be  mistaken  in  our 
opinions,  Deacon  Long,"  rejoined  Mrs.  Terry,  em- 
phatically. 

"Yes,"  assented  Miss  Adams,  to  whom  Mrs. 
Terry  had  looked  for  support.  Deacon  Nelson, 
also  a  member  of  the  Standing  Committee,  but 
seldom  taking  any  part  in  the  discussions,  nodded 
his  approval  to  Mrs.  Terry's  statements. 

"But  tell  me,  Brother  Brand,  if  this  Divinity 
School  is,  as  you  say,  detrimental  to  the  denomi- 
nation, why  do  so  many  of  our  young  ministers 
go  there?"  asked  Mrs.  Wood,  a  perplexed  look 
settling  upon  her  thoughtful  face. 

"Why  do  they  go  there?"  repeated  Brand. 
"  Why  do  you  wear  a  certain  style  of  hat  ?  Why  ? 
Because  it's  the  fashion.  And  just  now  it's  the 


48  THE  MINISTRY  OF 

fashion  to  attend  the  University  of  the  West 
From  all  over  the  United  States  our  young  min- 
isters are  flocking  there  with  as  little  reason  for 
doing  so  as  usually  exists  for  following  any  of  the 
present  day  fads." 

"  But  is  not  the  instruction  of  a  superior 
grade?" 

"  What  if  it  is  ?  That  makes  the  matter  only  so 
much  the  worse." 

"  How  is  that?     I  do  not  follow  you." 

"  By  their  great  intellectual  ability  these  pro- 
fessors are  able  to  make  their  students  believe  al- 
most anything." 

"Indeed?" 

"  Yes  ;  they  can  take  young  men  whose  beliefs 
on  entering  the  Divinity  School  are  sound,  ortho- 
dox, in  full  accord  with  the  denomination,  and  in 
three  years  make  them  over  completely,  filling 
their  heads  with  ideas  no  more  in  harmony  with 
our  beliefs  than  black  is  like  white  !  " 

"  But  Patterson  writes  in  glowing  terms  of  the 
Divinity  professors,"  said  Paul.  "  You  remember 
he  graduated  here  last  year  ?  " 

"That's  just  it!"  exclaimed  Brand.  "These 
professors  by  their  great  intellectual  ability  just 
hypnotize  their  students." 

"  And  I've  heard  it  said,"  added  Deacon  Long 
in  a  hoarse  whisper,  as  if  divulging  some  awful 
secret,  "  I've  heard  it  said  that  Dr.  Hopper  sends 
souls  to  hell  every  day  ! " 

A  look  of  horror  settled  on  Miss  Adams'  face  ; 


DAVID  BALDWIN  40 

one  of  incredulity  on  the  faces  of  the  other  two 
ladies :  while  the  corners  of  Mr.  Strong's  mouth 
showed  marked  indications  of  suppressed  merri- 
ment. Strong,  while  in  any  of  the  business  or 
committee  meetings  of  the  church,  rarely  indulged 
in  levity ;  but  afterward  in  talking  over  these  dis- 
cussions with  his  wife,  some  of  the  things  that 
were  said  or  done  seemed  very  funny  and  afforded 
no  end  of  amusement.  His  wife  more  than  once 
told  him  that  it  must  be  the  humorous  side  of 
these  meetings  which  kept  him  in  such  regular 
attendance.  He  acknowledged  to  her  that  there 
might  be  something  in  it. 

"Perhaps,  brethren,"  he  interposed,  "we'd  better 
pass  on  to  the  reading  of  the  next  letter.  Of 
course  this  discussion  is  very  interesting ;  but 
*  tempus  fugit?  What  is  the  pleasure  concerning 
this  letter  from  Dr.  Porter  ?  " 

"  Suppose  we  ask  Dr.  Porter  to  send  us  an 
itemized  description  of  two  or  three  good  men  of 
the  sociological  type, — I  believe  he  said  that  type 
was  a  specialty,"  said  Driver. 

"  You  make  that  as  a  motion  ?  "  asked  the  chair- 
man. 

"Yes." 

In  the  vote  there  was  no  opposition. 

The  remaining  letters,  similar  to  dozens  they 
had  received,  were  disposed  of  with  scarcely  more 
than  a  reading. 

"  What  are  we  ever  going  to  do  ! "  exclaimed 
Mrs.  Terry.  "This  continual  listening  to  trial 


50  THE  MINISTRY  OF 

sermons  is  truly  distracting — I  had  almost  said 
demoralizing." 

"  I  agree  with  you,"  said  Mrs.  Smith.  "  And 
demoralizing  is  none  too  strong  a  word,  either. 
Indeed,  you  wouldn't  think  so  if  you  could  hear 
the  discussions  at  our  dinner  table,  after  every 
Sunday  morning  service." 

"  Yes,  it's  the  same  with  us.  My  family  has  re- 
solved itself  into  a  group  of  critics,"  continued 
Mrs.  Terry.  "  The  way  every  candidate  and  his 
sermon  are  discussed  and  torn  to  pieces  is  simply 
awful.  Such  preaching  doesn't  do  one  particle  of 
good ! " 

"  I  know  it.  One  gets  into  the  habit  of  being 
critical.  We  are  all  feeling  it,"  added  Miss  Adams. 

"  And  our  congregations  are  growing  smaller 
every  week.  Only  yesterday  Mrs.  James  said  she 
should  not  come  any  more  until  the  church  had 
decided  on  a  pastor." 

"  I  hope  we  shall  not  lose  the  James  family." 

"  But  we  will  lose  them  and  other  desirable 
families  also,  if  this  candidating  keeps  up  much 
longer,"  said  Mrs.  Strong,  entering  the  room. 
"  If  it  wasn't  for  my  husband  I'd  join  some  other 
church  next  week,  myself !  Our  church  is  getting 
into  a  terrible  condition.  I  couldn't  sit  at  home 
any  longer.  I  had  to  come  to  this  committee 
meeting.  Something  must  be  done ! " 

Mrs.  Strong's  manner  revealed  her  intense  feel- 
ing. She  was  a  most  interesting  and  unique  per- 
son, always  saying  or  doing  something  unusual. 


DAVID  BALDWIN  51 

"  We  are  doing  all  in  our  power  to  settle  a  pas- 
tor,'* objected  Deacon  Long.  "  More  than  a  half 
a  dozen  letters  were  considered  this  evening." 

"  But  what  good  does  it  do  ?  What  if  you  do 
have  man  after  man  preach  for  us?  Whenever 
it  comes  to  a  vote  what  is  the  result  ?  We  all 
know — it  has  been  thrust  upon  us  so  often.  What- 
ever Brother  Brand  wants,  Brother  Driver  is  cer- 
tain not  to  want.  Why  not  deal  with  the  real 
question — the  obstinacy  of  these  two  men  ?  " 

Various  members  of  the  committee  assented, 
highly  pleased  at  Mrs.  Strong's  direct  attack  of  the 
real  problem. 

"  So  far  as  I  can  see  there  is  no  end  in  sight. 
Recall  our  recent  business  meeting.  Doubtless 
Deacon  Long  would  say  that  these  two  brothers 
cannot  help  persistently  opposing  each  other's 
wishes — *  'twas  born  in  them,  a  part  of  their  total 
depravity/  Be  that  as  it  may,  it  is  quite  clear  that 
we  shall  never  be  able  to  decide  on  a  pastor  if  this 
continues." 

Both  Mr.  Brand  and  Mr.  Driver  were  amused  at 
Mrs.  Strong's  directness.  They  accepted  from  her 
in  good  grace  what  no  other  woman  would  have 
had  the  courage  to  utter  in  their  presence. 

It  was  Mr.  Driver  who  spoke.  "  What  sugges- 
tion have  you  to  make,  Mrs.  Strong  ?  " 

"  Why  not  let  some  one  else  propose  a  candi- 
date?" 

The  idea  was  revolutionary.  For  more  than  a 
quarter  of  a  century  the  function  of  proposing  can- 


52  DAVID  BALDWIN 

didates  had  rested  without  question  in  the  hands 
of  these  two  members. 

"  I  have  a  name  to  propose,"  continued  Mrs. 
Strong.  The  members  of  the  committee  held 
their  breath.  "  You  recall  the  young  man  who 
preached  for  us  last  winter  during  our  pastor's  ill- 
ness ?  Yes,  Mr.  Baldwin.  I  suggest  his  name." 

"  I  remember  him  well,"  said  Paul  Green. 
"  He  impressed  me  very  favorably." 

"  His  sermons  were  so  earnest,"  added  Miss 
Adams.  "  Do  you  suppose  we  could  get  him  ? 
Perhaps  he  is  already  settled." 

Before  the  committee  meeting  closed,  Mrs. 
Strong's  campaign,  as  it  was  styled,  was  well 
under  way.  Mr.  Baldwin  became  the  all  absorb- 
ing topic  of  conversation.  It  was  rather  remark- 
able how  many  of  the  characteristics  of  Mr.  Bald- 
win various  persons  were  now  able  to  recall. 

In  the  business  meeting  which  soon  followed 
both  Mr.  Driver  and  Mr.  Brand  expressed  them- 
selves in  favor  of  Mrs.  Strong's  candidate.  Mr. 
Driver,  however,  was  stubborn  in  his  view  that 
their  pastor  should  be  married ;  and  so,  to  carry 
their  point,  the  others  agreed  to  issue  the  remark- 
able call  which  shortly  afterward  reached  David 
Baldwin. 


IV 

"  f   I   ^IOGA,  Minnesota,  please." 

After  several  minutes  of  waiting  in 
-*•       the   long   line   before  the  ticket  office 
window,  the  speaker's  turn  had  come. 

The  agent  selected  the  proper  ticket,  stamped 
it,  and  made  the  purchaser's  change  which  he 
pushed  with  the  ticket  toward  the  young  man 
standing  before  him.  As  he  did  this,  his  at- 
tention was  arrested.  He  looked  sharply  at  the 
young  man  for  a  moment,  and  as  he  turned  to  the 
next  person  in  the  line  an  amused  expression 
played  over  his  face.  Plainly  the  agent  was  more 
than  ordinarily  interested. 

The  young  man  had  just  gathered  up  his 
change,  depositing  the  coins  in  a  little  wallet 
which  he  dropped  into  his  trousers  pocket  on  the 
right  hand  side,  while  the  bills  were  carefully 
folded  in  a  pocketbook  which  was  returned  to  a 
pocket  in  the  inner  side  of  his  coat.  There  was 
nothing  unusual  in  his  appearance  as  he  stood 
folding  his  ticket  and  putting  it  in  his  card-case. 
His  movements  were  rapid,  almost  automatic,  in- 
dicating an  orderly  mind  in  which  the  traces  of 
habit  were  apparent.  Doubtless  he  had  gone 
through  with  these  movements  a  hundred  times 
during  the  past  few  years  as  he  had  purchased  his 
railway  tickets,  putting  the  coins  of  his  change 

53 


54:  THE  MINISTRY  OF 

into  his  trousers  pocket  on  the  right  hand  side, 
the  bills  into  the  pocketbook,  and  the  ticket  into 
the  card-case. 

In  height  this  young  man  was  neither  tall  nor 
short — perhaps  about  the  average,  with  more  than 
the  ordinary  breadth  of  chest ;  having  a  clean 
shaven  face  save  for  a  light  mustache  ;  brown  hair 
with  a  scattering  of  gray  on  the  temples ;  eyes 
which  relieved  the  expression  from  being  too  se- 
vere ;  a  chin  such  as  men  have  who  persist  in  a 
certain  line  of  effort  though  it  takes  years  to  ac- 
complish their  purpose  ;  lines  about  the  mouth 
which  reveal  acquaintance  with  suffering  and 
power  to  meet  adverse  circumstances  ;  the  gen- 
eral expression  of  one  who  could  feel  keenly  the 
pleasure  of  a  word  of  appreciation  or  the  pain  of 
harsh  criticism.  He  easily  wore  the  unmistakable 
air  of  one  accustomed  to  reflection,  to  living  in 
the  realm  of  ideas,  though  he  bore  none  of  the 
distinctive  marks  of  the  different  professions.  One 
could  not  have  said  that  he  was  a  lawyer  or  a 
doctor  ;  perhaps  he  was  a  teacher  or  a  clergyman. 

As  the  young  man  turned  from  the  window  and 
took  two  or  three  steps  away,  he  suddenly  stopped 
like  one  who  had  forgotten  something,  and  then 
tried  to  regain  the  place  at  the  window  which  he 
had  just  vacated  ;  but  the  line  had  pushed  up  and 
this  was  impossible.  How  provoking !  He  stood 
waiting  for  a  moment,  as  if  loath  to  conform  to 
the  inevitable  ;  then,  walking  to  the  end  of  the 
line,  took  his  place  in  it.  With  slow  creeping 


DAVID  BALDWIN  55 

movement  the  line  edged  on,  gradually  melting 
away  at  the  upper  end. 

"  Another  ticket  to  Tioga,  Minnesota,"  said  he, 
when  his  turn  came. 

The  agent  smiled. 

"  Not  used  to  buying  tickets  for  two  ?  "  said  he, 
good-naturedly. 

"  No,"  replied  the  young  man. 

"I  knew  it;  I  knew  you'd  be  back  in  a  few 
minutes  for  another,"  he  laughed. 

"Indeed!  How  is  that?"  asked  the  young 
man,  smiling. 

"  Oh,  lots  of  newly  married  men  make  the  same 
mistake,"  said  the  agent,  enjoying  the  other's  em- 
barrassment. 

"  Newly  married  men  ?  "  repeated  the  traveler. 

"  Certainly,  it's  no  uncommon  occurrence  for  a 
bridegroom  to  forget  to  buy  a  ticket  for  his 
wife." 

"  But  what  makes  you  think  I  belong  to  that 
class — to  the  newly  married  ?  " 

"Three  tickets  to  St.  Paul,  please,"  said  the 
gentleman  next  in  the  line ;  and  the  young  man 
stepped  aside  without  getting  an  answer. 

"I  wish  I  knew  how  that  agent  got  on  to  it," 
was  his  thought  as  he  crossed  the  floor  to  the 
ladies'  waiting-room. 

"  Why,  David,  how  long  you  were ! "  exclaimed 
a  young  lady,  whose  eager  eyes  welcomed  him  as 
he  approached  her  side.  "  I  was  becoming 
alarmed  :  is  anything  wrong  with  the  trains  ?  " 


56  THE  MINISTRY  OF 

"  Oh,  no,"  he  replied,  drawing  a  chair  near  her. 
"  Our  connections  are  all  right.  We  leave  Chicago 
in  thirty-five  minutes." 

"  But,  dear,  why  were  you  so  long?" 

"  Well,  I  hardly  know  whether  I  should  tell  you 
or  not,"  said  David,  laughing.  "  It  certainly  was 
a  good  joke  on  me." 

The  young  lady  looked  into  his  face  but  said 
nothing.  She  felt  that  a  fuller  disclosure  was  com- 
ing. 

"  I  came  pretty  near  going  to  Tioga  alone,"  he 
began. 

"  Alone  ?  "  laying  her  hand  lightly  on  his  arm. 
Even  the  suggestion  of  it  startled  her. 

"  Yes,"  he  confessed.  "  I  took  my  place  in  the 
line  and  when  my  turn  came,  you  cannot  guess 
what  I  did?" 

"Tell  me,  David,  what  was  it?"  she  asked, 
eagerly. 

"  Well,  being  accustomed  for  so  many  years  to 
buying  only  one  ticket,  I  forgot,  for  the  moment, 
that  I  now  needed  to  buy  two." 

"  Why,  David  1 "  with  the  slightest  trace  of  re- 
proach in  her  tone.  "  You  surely  didn't  forget 
that  you  had  a  wife  1 " 

"  Not  exactly  that,  Miriam,"  said  he  ;  "but  I  did 
forget  that  I  had  to  buy  two  tickets.  The  agent 
was  greatly  amused.  He  said  that  many  newly 
married  men  did  the  same  thing." 

"  Newly  married  men  ?  How  did  he  know  that 
we  were  on  our  wedding  trip?  " 


DAVID  BALDWIN  57 

"  I  wanted  to  ask  him  myself,  but  the  next  pas- 
senger took  his  attention." 

"  But  the  people  on  the  train  to  Chicago  took  us 
for  an  old  couple,  don't  you  think  so  ?  " 

"  If  they  didn't,  it  certainly  wasn't  our  fault," 
replied  David.  "  At  least  it  wasn't  mine.  Didn't 
I  act  as  if  I  had  enjoyed  the  training  of  domesticity 
for  a  dozen  years  ?  " 

"  Oh,  I  am  sure  that  no  one  took  us  for  bride 
and  groom,"  said  Miriam.  "  Some  bridal  couples 
act  so  foolishly  ! " 

There  are  some  things,  however,  which  nature 
evidently  intends  shall  not  be  concealed,  among 
which  are  the  starry  heavens,  the  perfume  of  the 
carnation,  and  the  presence  of  a  bridal  party. 
And  the  truth  of  the  matter  is,  that  David 
and  Miriam's  attempts  to  pose  as  an  old  married 
couple  deceived  no  one,  and  on  their  way  to 
Chicago  they  had  afforded  no  little  merriment  to 
their  fellow  passengers.  But  ignorance  is  bliss 
under  such  circumstances. 

After  David  Baldwin  received  the  letter  from  the 
First  Church  of  Tioga,  he  lost  no  time  in  bringing 
it  to  the  attention  of  a  certain  young  woman  who, 
he  rightly  surmised,  would  be  almost  equally  in- 
terested in  it  with  himself.  In  fact — following  his 
chum's  hint — he  had  come  to  regard  the  letter  as 
a  double  favor  of  providence.  It  would  provide 
him  with  a  pastorate  immediately  upon  gradua- 
tion, and  it  would  also  prove  a  formidable  weapon 


58  THE  MINISTRY  OF 

in  overcoming  the  scruples  of  his  fiancee  against 
an  immediate  marriage. 

He  had  known  Miriam  Mathews  since  high 
school  days,  and  their  early  comradery  there  had 
ripened  into  deep  mutual  affection.  When  they 
were  graduated,  indeed,  his  love  had  carried  him 
to  such  bounds  that  he  urged  her  to  consent  to  a 
hasty  marriage.  But  Miriam's  good  sense  per- 
ceived that  it  would  mean  the  curtailing  of  his 
whole  career.  She  steadfastly  refused,  although 
her  own  heart  pleaded  for  him ;  while  on  his  part 
he  was  hurt  almost  to  anger. 

But  with  calmer  moments  David  could  not  but 
see  her  wisdom,  although  it  doomed  him  to 
separation  from  her  for  at  least  seven  years.  The 
four  years  in  the  University,  however,  were  at  last 
ended  ;  and  the  three  years  in  the  Divinity  school 
as  well.  Meanwhile,  not  to  lose  intellectual  pace 
with  him,  Miriam  had  pluckily  worked  her  way 
through  Vassar,  and  was  now  paying  off  the  re- 
mainder of  her  school  debt  by  the  stenography  al- 
ready mentioned.  It  is  small  wonder,  therefore, 
that  David  should  have  been  so  jubilant  over  the 
call  to  Tioga,  which  his  old-time  friend,  Mrs. 
Strong,  had  secured  for  him.  It  was,  in  effect,  a 
command  to  marry,  and  he  believed  that  Miriam 
would  no  longer  be  able  to  resist  his  plea,  when 
backed  by  such  convincing  proof  of  the  necessity 
for  the  step. 

When  Miriam  first  read  the  letter  the  church  at 


DAVID  BALDWIN  59 

Tioga  had  written  to  David  she  was  convulsed 
with  laughter. 

"  Did  they  not  ask  for  a  minute  description,  or 
at  least  to  see  a  photograph  of  your  intended  ?  " 
she  asked.  "  You  know,  churches  are  sometimes 
more  particular  about  the  minister's  wife  than  they 
are  about  the  minister  himself." 

"  No,  they  did  not  ask  for  a  detailed  description. 
I  wish  they  had  1 "  he  exclaimed.  "  Think  of  the 
letter  I  could  have  written!  Who  could  help 
satisfying  the  most  exacting  critics  when  one  has 
such  a  subject?"  And  David  carried  the  hand  of 
his  sweetheart  to  his  lips. 

"  Be  not  too  certain  of  that,"  said  Miriam.  "  I 
have  in  mind  an  instance  where  an  accurate  de- 
scription of  myself  would  have  been  disastrous." 

"  Diastrous  ?  " 

"  Yes,"  replied  Miriam,  "  disastrous  to  your  set- 
tlement. It  was  this  way :  one  of  my  friends  at 
Vassar  recently  married  a  clergyman.  On  one  oc- 
casion when  he  was  to  preach  a  trial  sermon,  Mar- 
garet accompanied  her  husband.  Though  the 
church  was  highly  pleased  with  the  sermon  and 
found  no  fault  with  the  young  man,  they  did  not 
call  him ;  and  the  reason  why  leaked  out  a  few 
weeks  later." 

"You  mean  they  did  not  like  his  wife?"  asked 
David. 

11  There  seemed  to  be  one  insuperable  objection 
to  her:  she  has  red  hair." 


60  THE  MINISTRY  OF 

"But  no  church  would  refuse  to  call  a  man  whom 
they  wanted,  simply  because  his  wife  happened  to 
have  red  hair ! "  said  David,  incredulously. 
"Are  you  sure  this  is  not  an  ungrounded 
rumor  ?  " 

"Indeed  I  am!"  cried  Miriam.  "I  have  it 
directly  from  my  Aunt  Julia  who  is  a  member  of 
the  church  where  it  occurred.  She  knew  my  ac- 
quaintance with  Margaret — Mr.  Jackson's  wife — 
and  wrote  me  that  Mr.  Jackson  would  certainly  have 
been  called  had  his  name  been  brought  before  the 
church  ;  but  the  chairman  of  the  pulpit  committee 
vigorously  opposed  bringing  it  up.  Reluctantly 
the  other  two  members  of  the  committee  yielded, 
though  they  were  puzzled  to  account  for  their 
chairman's  attitude.  Inadvertently  the  reason  for 
it  came  to  light.  The  chairman's  wife  was  a 
woman  of  very  strong  prejudices,  one  of  the 
strongest  of  which  was  her  prejudice  against  red 
hair." 

"  I  see,"  said  David.  "It  is  fortunate  that  I  did 
not  write  the  church  at  Tioga  a  full  description 
of  you ;  perhaps  there  are  some  important  women 
there  also  who  have  strong  prejudices,"  he 
laughed. 

"  But,  David,  if  the  church  knows  of  your  en- 
gagement they  will  not  object  to  waiting  a  year 
for  us  to  be  married.  It  will  take  another  year  to 
pay  off  my  school  debt,  you  know." 

"  I  hardly  think  they  would  wait,"  said  David. 

"  But  my  debt — I  must  meet  this  before  we  are 


DAVID  BALDWIN  61 

married.  It  would  not  be  right  to  encumber  our 
future  this  way." 

David  wisely  refrained  from  discussing  the  sub- 
ject further  just  then.  He  described  the  work 
which  he  hoped  to  do  at  Tioga ;  how  the  several 
hundred  students  at  the  university,  whose  religious 
difficulties  he  understood  so  well,  appealed  to  him ; 
how  he  thought  of  having  a  student's  class  where 
he  could  come  into  closer  touch  with  these  young 
men  and  women,  than  it  would  be  possible  to  do 
in  the  more  formal  services.  Doubtless  the  field 
had  its  difficulties — what  church  did  not  have 
them?  But  the  opening  had  come  to  him  un- 
sought when  everything  else  seemed  closed.  Was 
it  not  providential  ?  If  he  did  not  settle  with  the 
Tioga  church  perhaps  he  would  receive  another 
call,  but  the  salary  would  not  be  more  than 
seven  or  eight  hundred — many  of  the  fellows  began 
their  first  pastorate  on  even  less  salary  than  that 

"  Why,  dearest,"  said  he,  eagerly,  and  as  if  the 
thought  had  not  been  uppermost  in  his  mind  all  the 
evening,  "the  two  hundred  extra  at  Tioga  would 
pay  your  school  debt  during  our  first  year  there. 
Suppose  we  called  the  salary  only  eight  hundred 
for  the  first  year — reserving  two  hundred  for  this 
special  purpose  ?  Would  it  not  be  better  for  us  to 
go  to  Tioga  than  for  me  to  run  the  risk  of  not  get- 
ting another  call  ?  " 

"Are  you  quite  sure  we  could  reserve  the  two 
hundred  during  the  first  year?"  asked  Miriam, 
hesitatingly. 


62  THE  MINISTRY  OF 

"  Why  not  ?  We  would  then  have  as  much  to 
live  on  as  I  would  probably  get  elsewhere." 

Miriam  thought  of  the  seven  years  which  had 
passed  since  David's  first  proposal ;  how  he  had 
waited  so  long  in  deference  to  her  wishes,  as  it  now 
appeared  to  her.  If  she  could  be  sure  that  her 
school  debt  would  be  no  encumbrance — how  her 
heart  thrilled  with  the  thought  of  it !  Another  year 
was  a  long  time  to  wait.  Surely,  they  could  live 
on  eight  hundred ;  and  after  the  first  year  there 
would  be  the  entire  amount — the  ten  hundred. 

"  There  would  be  some  advantages  in  begin- 
ning our  work  together,"  said  Miriam,  medita- 
tively. 

"  Then  you  consent  to  our  marriage  during  the 
summer?"  he  cried,  every  nerve  taut  with 
suspense. 

"  If  you  desire  it,  dearest,"  she  replied,  in  a  low 
tone,  more  gracious,  more  thrilling  than  human 
voice  had  ever  sounded  to  him  before. 

"  My  darling !  This  is  more  than  I  deserve,"  he 
cried. 

"  Oh,  I  am  so  happy,  David  ! "  she  breathed,  as 
he  drew  her  gently  to  him.  "  And  I  am  so  glad 
we  are  not  to  wait  another  year,"  looking  up  into 
his  eyes. 

For  answer — what  else  could  he  do  ? — his  head 
bent  a  little  forward  and  his  lips  drew  down  to  a 
level  with  hers  ;  the  old,  old  miracle  was  performed 
again — a  touch  of  lips  was  transmuted  into  one  of 
the  most  blissful  experiences  of  life  1 


DAVID  BALDWIN  63 

The  train  bearing  David  Baldwin  and  his  bride 
to  their  unexplored  field  of  labor  was  rushing"  on 
toward  the  great  Northwest.  The  heat  of  an 
August  day  beat  down  upon  them  ;  the  atmosphere 
was  dry  and  filled  with  dust. 

A  mother  with  a  restless  little  baby  sat  just  in 
front  of  David  and  Miriam,  on  the  opposite  side  of 
the  aisle.  The  woman  was  scarcely  twenty,  with 
low  forehead,  retreating  chin,  and  large  nose ;  her 
mouth  was  sensitive  and  her  eyes  kindly  in  their 
look  as  she  gazed  upon  her  babe ;  her  expression 
indicated  a  low  grade  of  intelligence,  a  mind  in 
which  there  was  much  fallow  ground  ;  hers  was  the 
minimum  of  preparation  for  the  responsibilities 
of  motherhood  which  she  had  thoughtlessly  in- 
vited or  had  had  thrust  upon  her.  The  child 
grew  more  restless  and  cried  louder  and  louder. 
The  poor  mother  tried  in  vain  to  soothe  it. 

"  Let  me  take  the  baby,"  said  Miriam,  crossing 
to  the  mother's  side.  "  You  are  tired.  Let  me  re- 
lieve you." 

The  mother  looked  into  Miriam's  face,  then 
yielded  the  infant  willingly. 

"  Have  you  traveled  far  ?  "  Miriam  continued. 

"  From  New  York — before  then,  from  old  coun- 
try," she  answered,  brokenly,  with  a  strong  for- 
eign accent. 

"Alone,  and  with  this  baby?"  asked  Miriam, in 
surprise. 

"  Yes,"  replied  the  woman. 

"  No  wonder  you  are  tired  out" 


64  THE  MINISTRY  OF 

The  little  babe  was  soon  asleep  in  Miriam's 
arms ;  and  as  she  returned  it  to  the  mother,  the 
woman's  mute  look  of  gratitude  stirred  her  heart. 

"I  have  been  thinking,  David,"  Miriam  said, 
after  she  had  resumed  her  seat  by  her  husband's 
side,  "  I  have  been  thinking  of  what  the  church 
people  will  probably  say  when  they  know  that  I 
am  not  a  member  of  any  church." 

"  We  shall  let  them  think  whatever  they  please," 
replied  David.  "  So  long  as  I  am  satisfied,  I'm 
sure  they  ought  to  be." 

"  I  hope  they  won't  expect  too  much  of  me," 
she  continued,  "  for  I  want  to  give  my  best  energy 
to  our  own  home  life." 

"  And  that,  dear,  is  just  what  I  wish  you  to  do. 
"  If  any  man  needs  the  inspiration  of  his  home,  it's 
a  pastor.  I  shall  never  consent  to  any  church's 
robbing  me  of  my  wife." 

"I  think  you  said  that  the  church  does  not 
have  a  parsonage." 

"  No ;  we  shall  have  to  rent  a  small  house,  or 
perhaps  a  flat." 

"  Should  we  not  rent  as  cheaply  as  possible  for 
the  first  year  or  two? — there  will  be  so  many 
things  for  us  to  buy." 

"  Yes,  I  think  so,"  said  David. 

"  Of  course  it  will  not  matter  to  the  church 
where  we  live,  so  long  as  they  have  no  parsonage." 

"Certainly  not;  though  I  suppose  churches 
prefer  to  have  their  pastors  live  in  good  houses 
and  in  a  desirable  quarter  of  the  community." 


DAVID  BALDWIN  65 

"  Yes,  doubtless  such  a  feeling  is  natural." 

"But  I  have  been  thinking,  Miriam,  of  trying 
to  get  a  house  where  we  could  be  in  close  touch 
with  the  uneducated  and  the  poorer  class  of  people  ; 
and  of  carrying  out  the  settlement  idea  on  a  small 
scale." 

"  Wouldn't  that  be  grand ! "  cried  Miriam.  "  I 
do  hope  we  may." 

"  But,  dearest,  it  would  put  us  to  many  incon- 
veniences." 

"  Yes ;  but  the  Christ  put  up  with  many  incon- 
veniences by  living  among  the  lowly,  did  he  not  ?  " 

"  And  the  members  of  the  church  would  be  sure 
to  criticise  such  a  step." 

"  But  should  we  mind  what  people  say  about 'us 
when  we  are  attempting  to  live  the  Christ  life  ?  " 
asked  Miriam. 

"  I  know ;  but  it's  difficult  not  to  mind,"  replied 
David.  "  In  many  ways  I  wish  we  were  going  to 
a  social  settlement :  that  kind  of  work  appeals  to 
me  very  strongly,  and  I  know  your  desires,  dear, 
are  in  the  same  direction.  But  the  pastorate  of 
this  church  is  before  us  now,  and  our  first  obliga- 
tion will  be  to  minister  to  the  spiritual  needs  of 
the  church  ;  to  get  the  members  interested  in  some 
definite  lines  of  Christian  service ;  and  to  do  what 
we  can  to  help  as  many  of  the  students  as  possible 
with  their  religious  problems." 

"  Is  the  church  open  to  modern  thought  ?  "  asked 
Miriam. 

"  I  can  only  judge  from  what  they  have  done — 


66  THE  MINISTRY  OF 

knowing  that  I  am  from  the  University  of  the 
West,  and  having  heard  me  preach  four  sermons 
which  I  considered  full  of  modern  thought,  they 
have  invited  me  to  become  their  pastor.  From 
this  one  would  judge  that  they  are  liberal." 

"I  am  glad.  I  think  it  is  very  fortunate.  I 
fear,  David,  if  you  were  to  become  pastor  of  a 
church  as  conservative  as  the  one  at  my  home, 
some  very  serious  problems  might  arise." 

"  But  I  have  no  fears  of  any  such  thing  happen- 
ing at  Tioga.  Its  being  a  University  town  makes 
a  great  difference.  But  even  if  the  circumstances 
were  otherwise,  even  if  I  were  going  to  a  conserv- 
ative church,  I  should  be  compelled  to  deliver 
the  message  as  it  burns  in  my  heart.  As  I  think 
of  it,  the  function  of  a  minister  is  to  bear  witness 
to  the  truth  rather  than  to  preach  to  people  only 
what  they  have  been  accustomed  to  hearing.  As 
Christ  bore  witness  to  the  truth  and  was  not  care- 
ful to  present  only  such  views  as  were  in  accord 
with  the  opinions  of  his  day,  so  the  Christian 
minister  should  bear  witness  to  the  truth  as  it 
burns  in  his  own  heart.  His  work  is  worthy  only 
as  he  delivers  the  message  that  possesses  him." 

"I  am  so  glad,  David,  that  you  think  as  you  do 
on  these  subjects.  How  I  shall  delight  to  hear 
you  preach  ! "  And  Miriam's  hand  edged  down 
to  the  side  of  David's.  "  For  so  many  years  ser- 
mons haven't  meant  much  to  me."  Her  hand 
slipped  into  his.  "  But  I  know  yours  will."  There 
was  a  gentle  pressure.  "  I  shall  always  delight  to 


DAVID  BALDWIN  67 

listen  to  you,  dearest;  you  have  made  so  many 
of  my  own  thoughts  clearer  to  me." 

"  Now  you  are  feeding  me  taffy,"  said  David, 
returning  the  pressure  with  interest  "My  first 
lessons  in  modern  religious  thought  I  received 
from  you,  dearest;  it  was  from  you  that  I  first 
learned  the  meaning  of  redemptive  suffering,  that 
love  suffers  in  saving  because  it  cannot  do  other- 
wise." 

The  possession  of  Miriam's  hand  thrilled  David 
like  a  draught  of  wine.  Forgotten  were  his  reso- 
lutions to  appear  like  one  who  had  been  married 
a  long  time ;  and  during  their  remaining  two 
hours'  ride,  he  was  a  bridegroom.  And  the  joy 
of  it  was  disturbed  only  by  their  arrival  at  their 
destination. 

"Tioga!"  finally  announced  the  brakeman, 
ending  their  present  dream  of  bliss.  Gathering 
up  their  belongings,  they  made  their  way  through 
the  busy  station  to  the  street 

They  had  arrived  unannounced  save  for  David's 
having  written  to  Mrs.  Meek  to  engage  a  suite  of 
rooms,  and  to  Mr.  Strong  to  assure  the  church 
of  his  intention  of  being  present  for  the  next  Sun- 
day's services. 

"  A  gentleman  in  the  parlor,  sir,  wishes  to  see 
you,"  said  Mrs.  Meek,  as  David  and  Miriam  were 
leaving  the  dining-room  that  same  evening. 

"  I'll  be  up  within  a  minute  or  two,  dear,"  said 
David,  as  Miriam  passed  on  to  their  rooms  alone ; 


68  THE  MINISTRY  OF 

and  following  Mrs.  Meek  to  the  parlor,  David  en- 
tered. A  tall  young  man  with  bushy  black  hair 
arose  to  meet  him. 

"  The  Reverend  David  Baldwin,  I  believe,"  said 
the  young  man,  advancing  and  offering  his  own 
card. 

"Yes,"  said  David.  A  glance  at  the  card  in- 
formed him  that  his  caller  was  a  newspaper  re- 
porter. It  was  the  first  time  he  had  been  sought 
out  by  a  representative  of  the  press  ;  and  a  highly 
pleasurable  emotion  swelled  his  breast. 

"  Pardon  me,  Reverend,  but  with  your  permis- 
sion I  would  like  to  ask  a  few  questions,"  said  the 
reporter,  opening  his  note-book.  "  I'll  promise 
you,  Reverend,  not  to  be  long,"  he  added  apolo- 
getically. 

"  Very  well,"  said  David,  sitting  down.  "  I  can 
spare  a  moment  or  two,"  glancing  at  his  watch. 
Since  entering  the  room  his  time  had  become  more 
precious.  As  soon  as  we  find  that  another  person 
wants  anything  belonging  to  us — an  old  book,  a 
bit  of  china,  or  our  time — it  immediately  rises  in 
value  in  our  own  estimation. 

"  Our  readers,  Reverend,"  began  the  reporter, 
in  an  easy,  off-hand  manner,  "  will  want  to  know 
something  of  the  new  pastor  who  has  just  come 
among  us.  Now,  Reverend,  if  you  will  write  up 
an  account  of  yourself,  I  will  send  for  it  any  hour 
you  name  before  midnight ;  just  so  we  have  it  at  the 
office  by  midnight,  that's  time  enough.  And  in 
this  account,  Reverend,"  the  reporter's  voice  came 


DAVID  BALDWIN  69 

down  to  a  confidential  tone  and  he  drew  his  chair 
a  little  nearer  David,  "  we  would  like  to  have  you 
include  any  particulars  about  yourself  which  you 
care  to  have  published — some  statements  of  your 
education,  your  personal  attitude  on  any  of  the  re- 
ligious problems  of  the  hour.  In  fact,  write  any- 
thing you  please.  The  public,  you  know,  is  inter- 
ested in  ministers;  and,  of  course,  the  more  we 
know  of  them,  the  better.  At  what  hour,  Rev- 
erend, could  you  have  the  copy  ready  ?" 

"  I — but  isn't  your  request  a  little  unusual — this 
writing  up  one's  self  ?  "  asked  David,  doubtingly. 

"  Oh,  no,  Reverend  ;  on  the  contrary,  it  is  a  very 
common  practice,"  the  reporter  hastened  to  ex- 
plain. "  But,"  he  added,  lowering  his  tone,  "  the 
fact  that  a  man  has  written  up  himself  is,  of  course, 
never  made  public.  Our  readers,  Reverend,  never 
stop  to  ask  how  we  get  our  information.  Shall  I 
send  for  it  at,  say,  eleven  ?  or  would  you  wish  a 
little  more  time?" 

David  hesitated.  The  opportunity  did  indeed 
appeal  to  him.  Already,  in  imagination,  he  saw 
in  to-morrow  morning's  paper  an  account  of  him- 
self, modestly  written  to  be  sure,  yet  containing 
some  little  touches  which  a  reporter  would  most 
probably  fail  to  bring  out  in  writing  up  an  inter- 
view. Why  should  he  not  write  the  account? 
Did  not  the  reporter  say  the  practice  was  a  com- 
mon one  ?  The  public  was  interested  in  the  new 
pastor.  Would  it  not  be  better  to  write  up  a  full 
and  accurate  account  of  himself  than  to  trust 


TO  THE  MINISTRY  OF 

to  the  uncertain  statements  the  reporter  might 
make? 

These  thoughts  flashed  through  David's  mind 
in  an  instant ;  but  as  he  opened  his  lips  to  say  that 
he  would  gather  together  a  few  statements  which 
might  interest  the  readers  of  the  Times,  the  thought 
of  Miriam  arrested  him.  Instantly  her  judgment 
on  the  matter  stood  out  before  him.  Very  clearly, 
very  definitely,  without  the  suspicion  of  a  doubt, 
David  saw  that  she  would  condemn  the  act. 

"  I  am  sorry  to  refuse  you — sorry  that  I  cannot 
serve  your  readers  in  the  way  you  ask,  Mr.  Waller," 
said  David,  courteously  ;  "  but  I  cannot  write  the 
account. " 

"I'm  sorry,  Reverend,  very  sorry  ;  for  you  could 
work  up  the  copy  much  more  to  your  own  satis- 
faction than  I  can.  However,  I'm  used  to  making 
a  stab  at  such  things.  You- arrived  in  the  city  this 
evening?" 

"  Yes." 

"Mrs.  Baldwin  accompanied  you?" 

"  Yes." 

"  This  was  your  wedding  trip  also,  was  it  not  ?  " 

"Yes,"  said  David,  smiling. 

"  You  are  a  graduate  of  a  divinity  school  ?  " 

"  Yes." 

"At  the  University  of  the  West?"  asked  the 
reporter. 

"  Yes,"  said  David  again. 

"  Then  this  is  your  first  pastorate,  is  it  not,  Rev- 
erend?" 


DAVID  BALDWIN  71 

"  Yes." 

"  But  you  have  preached  more  or  less  before 
this?" 

"Yes." 

"  Did  you  not  preach  here  two  or  three  times  last 
winter  ?  " 

"Yes." 

"  And  the  church  extended  their  call  from  hav- 
ing heard  you  then  ?  " 

"  Yes,"  assented  David. 

"  Then  you  are  comparatively  a  stranger  in  our 
midst,  Reverend  ?  " 

"  Yes." 

Both  men  laughed.  The  cumulative  effect  of 
David's  answers  was  becoming  humorous. 

"  Would  you  mind,  Reverend,  stating  the  year 
of  your  birth  ?  "  asked  the  reporter. 

"  I  am  twenty-nine  years  old  and  was  born  in 
Georgia,"  replied  David. 

"  Indeed  ?  Have  you  lived  in  the  North  long, 
Reverend  ?  " 

"  Since  my  fifth  year." 

After  asking  several  other  questions  the  re- 
porter rose  to  leave.  "  Oh,  I  nearly  forgot  one 
item,"  said  he,  opening  his  note-book  again. 
"  Your  subject  for  Sunday,  Reverend — may  I  get 
its  exact  wording  ?  " 

"  Certainly,"  said  David.  "  My  theme  for  the 
morning  will  be  The  Contagion  of  Life." 

"  A  very  interesting  topic,  Reverend  ;  a  very 
interesting  topic.  Think  i  shall  have  to  drop  in 


72  THE  MINISTRY  OF 

and  hear  what  you  have  to  say  on  it,  though  to 
tell  the  truth,  Reverend,  I  am  not  over-fond  of 
sermons." 

"  I  shall  be  very  glad  to  have  you  worship  with 
us  Sunday  morning,"  said  David. 

"  Thank  you,  Reverend,"  said  the  reporter,  ex- 
tending his  hand.  "  And  as  a  representative  of 
the  Times  I  am  glad  to  welcome  you  to  our  thriv- 
ing little  city.  Good-night,  Reverend.  Many 
thanks  for  the  interview." 

"  Good-night,"  said  David.  And  he  hurried  up 
to  Miriam. 

"  To  think,  sweetheart,  that  I  was  detained  for 
a  half  hour  1 "  exclaimed  David,  kissing  his  bride 
as  he  entered  the  room. 

"  Only  a  half  hour  ?  Why,  dearest,  it  seemed 
two  hours ! "  said  Miriam.  "  And  I  was  begin- 
ning to  be  a  little  impatient  with  the  man  who 
was  keeping  you.  I  was  beginning  to  dislike 
deacons " 

"  Deacons  ?  "  laughed  David. 

"  Why  wasn't  he  one  of  the  deacons  of  the 
church  ?  Who  else  would  think  of  searching  us 
out  so  soon  ?  "  asked  Miriam. 

"  No,  he  was  not  one  of  the  deacons,  only  a 
newspaper  reporter,"  replied  David  carelessly,  as 
if  being  interviewed  by  a  reporter  was  a  matter  of 
common  occurrence  with  him.  "  He  wanted  to 
get  the  subject  of  my  sermon  for  Sunday  morning 
and  also  a  few  facts  for  a  little  notice  in  the  paper." 

And  he   pulled   up  an  easy  chair  in  front  of 


DAVID  BALDWIN  73 

Miriam  and  stretched  himself  into  it.  Both  were 
tired,  for  they  had  been  traveling  since  Wednes- 
day noon,  having  taken  the  train  immediately  after 
an  early  wedding  dinner  at  Miriam's  home.  This 
was  their  first  hour  alone  since  their  marriage. 

"  Well,  sweetheart,"  said  David,  as  he  settled 
himself  into  a  comfortable  position,  "  we  are  here 
at  last.  And  how  does  the  little  girl  feel — pretty 
tired  ?  " 

"  Oh,  no,  not  very  tired  ;  the  time  passed  so 
quickly." 

"  But  think,  sweetheart,  what  a  long  and  lonely 
journey  it  would  have  been  if  I'd  had  to  come 
alone,"  said  David. 

"  Are  you  sure,  David,  that  you  would  have 
missed  me  so  much  ? "  Miriam  asked,  her  face 
suffused  with  tenderness,  her  eyes  lifted  for  a 
moment  to  his.  What  bride  does  not  delight  in 
the  reiteration  of  her  husband's  devotion,  how- 
ever much  she  may  be  assured  of  it  ?  But  why 
should  this  be?  why  should  not  one  declaration 
be  sufficient  ?  Why  does  a  woman's  heart  crave 
to  be  told  again  and  again  what  she  already 
knows — that  she  is  dearer  to  her  husband  than  all 
the  rest  of  the  world  besides  ?  But  the  ways  of  a 
woman's  heart  have  always  been  past  finding  out. 
A  mystery  to  herself,  woman  is  a  deeper  mystery 
to  man.  It  was  so  with  the  ancients  ;  it  is  more 
profoundly  true  of  us  moderns.  For  with  our 
increase  of  knowledge  the  mystery  has  but 
deepened. 


IT  was  Sunday  morning,  and  Miriam  was  pre- 
paring her  toilet  for  church. 
"  Say,  dear  ?  "  she  called. 

"  Well,  sweetheart  ?  "  answered  David  from  be- 
yond the  portieres,  in  their  little  sitting-room. 

"Am  I  interrupting  you  in  your  studying?" 
she  asked. 

"  Of  course  not,  sweetheart,"  said  David,  put- 
ting his  finger  on  the  line  where  he  had  stopped 
in  the  reading  of  his  manuscript.  "  Do  you  want 
anything  ?  " 

"  Why,  dear,"  continued  Miriam,  as  she  went  on 
with  the  making  of  her  toilet,  "if  I'm  not  inter- 
rupting you  to  ask,  how  long  does  it  take  to  walk 
to  the  church  ?  " 

"Why,  not  long;  only  about  ten  minutes, 
sweetheart,"  answered  David,  at  the  same  time 
glancing  over  the  remainder  of  the  page  of  his 
sermon.  "  Yes,  I  remember  from  having  walked 
it  last  winter;  it  takes  just  about  ten  minutes." 
His  eyes  began  moving  rapidly  over  the  next  page. 

"Then,  dear,  suppose  we  start  so  as  to  get 
there  just  on  time  ?  "  called  Miriam. 

"  Very  well,  sweetheart,  if  you  wish,"  said 
David,  scanning  the  contents  of  another  page  as 
he  answered. 

74 


DAVID  BALDWIN  Y5 

Miriam  wished  on  this  their  first  Sunday  in 
Tioga  to  avoid  the  embarrassment  of  sitting  in 
church  several  minutes  before  the  opening  of  the 
services,  a  conscious  target  to  many  a  pair  of 
curious  eyes  ;  so  they  waited  until  ten-twenty,  ten 
minutes  before  the  opening  of  the  service,  before 
they  left  their  room. 

The  morning  was  warm,  the  last  Sunday  in 
August.  But  Central  Avenue  was  so  well  shaded 
that  it  was  scarcely  necessary  to  carry  a  parasol, 
though  Miriam  had  brought  along  her  dainty 
affair,  with  its  white  handle  and  its  lavender 
colored  silk  and  lace.  The  streets  had  been 
sprinkled  earlier  in  the  morning  and  there  was  no 
dust.  The  air  was  fragrant  with  a  mixed  perfume 
of  many  late  blossoms  and  shrubs;  among  the 
trees  the  birds  were  still  chirping,  though  with 
less  volume  than  two  or  three  hours  before ;  while 
up  the  trunk  of  a  tree  here  and  there  squirrels 
scampered  as  David  and  Miriam  approached. 

Miriam  was  modestly  dressed  in  white.  Her 
face  was  full  and  rosy  with  just  a  trifle  more  color 
this  morning  than  usual.  In  height  she  was  a  little 
under  the  average  for  a  woman.  Walking  by  her 
side  David  appeared  tall,  though  he  was  not.  In 
his  hand  he  carried  his  study  Bible,  the  revised 
version  not  bound  in  limp  cover,  and  a  hymn  book. 
He  was  dressed  in  full  clerical  attire,  with  white 
tie,  white  linen  waistcoat,  Prince  Albert  coat,  and 
enameled  shoes. 

According  to  his  custom,  David  was  meditating 


76  THE  MINISTRY  OF 

on  his  opening  prayer  as  he  walked  along ;  and  in 
so  doing  he  lost  himself  to  the  extent  that  he  quite 
forgot  to  suit  his  pace  to  Miriam's,  until  he  was  a 
step  or  two  ahead  of  her. 

"  Pardon  me,  sweetheart ! "  he  cried,  as  he 
noticed  this.  "  Am  I  walking  too  fast  for  the  little 
girl?" 

"  Dear,  I'm  trying  my  best  to  keep  up,"  panted 
Miriam,  who  was  becoming  heated. 

They  walked  on  more  slowly,  David  carefully 
suiting  his  gait  to  Miriam's. 

"  If  there  isn't  the  last  bell  I "  he  exclaimed, 
when  they  were  yet  several  blocks  from  the 
church. 

"  Why,  dear,  I  thought  you  said  we  could  walk 
it  in  ten  minutes  ?  "  said  Miriam  anxiously. 

"  Ten  minutes  of  my  strides,  I  should  have  said," 
answered  David,  grimly. 

"  But  we'll  be  late,  dear,"  said  Miriam.  "  Hadn't 
you  better  go  on  ahead,  David  ?  " 

"No,"  said  David,  "a  minute  or  two  will  not 
make  much  difference." 

On  they  walked.  Were  blocks  ever  before  so 
long?  And  what  a  slow  method  of  getting  over 
the  ground  walking  was,  anyway !  At  last  they 
reached  the  church  door,  and  handing  Miriam  to 
one  of  the  ushers,  David  went  through  the  lecture- 
room  to  the  pastor's  study,  where  two  of  the  deacons 
were  awaiting  him.  Deacon  Long  was  holding  his 
watch  in  his  hand. 

"  I  fear  I'm  a  little  late,"  said  David  hurriedly, 


DAVID  BALDWIN  77 

as  he  shook  hands  with  the  brethren.  "  But  I've 
learned,"  said  he,  as  he  wiped  the  perspiration  from 
his  brow,  "if  it  takes  one  person  ten  minutes  to 
walk  to  church,  it  will  take  two  nearly  twice  as 
long." 

"  When  a  man  gets  married,"  observed  Deacon 
Nelson,  "  he  has  many  new  lessons  to  learn." 

"  It's  now  four  minutes  late,"  said  Deacon  Long, 
consulting  his  watch.  "Perhaps  you  had  better 
go  in  at  once.  The  congregation  is  waiting." 

David  stepped  toward  the  door  leading  to  the 
pulpit. 

"  But  shall  we  not  have  our  usual  prayer  first?" 
asked  Deacon  Nelson. 

For  many  years  Deacon  Nelson  had  found  his 
chief  enjoyment  of  the  Sunday  services  in  meeting 
the  pastor  before  the  morning  sermon  and  having 
a  short  season  of  prayer.  On  several  occasions 
when  too  ill  to  leave  the  house  during  the  week, 
he  would  be  well  enough  to  attend  church  Sunday 
morning,  for  he  had  set  his  heart  upon  it.  And  the 
first  Sunday  with  a  new  pastor  was  a  red  letter 
day  with  the  deacon,  an  occasion  toward  which  he 
would  look  forward  for  weeks,  brooding  the  while 
over  the  petition  he  would  then  offer. 

David  knew  something  of  Deacon  Nelson's 
custom,  and  seeing  the  pained  look  on  the  old 
gentleman's  face,  he  said, 

"  Certainly,  Deacon  Nelson.  The  congregation 
can  wait  a  moment  longer.  Will  you  please  lead 
us?" 


78  THE  MINISTRY  OF 

They  knelt  and  Deacon  Nelson  prayed.  Though 
an  unlettered  man,  rude  of  speech  in  ordinary  con- 
versation, the  deacon's  language  when  praying  was 
beautiful ;  the  sentiment  of  the  prayer  was  tender 
and  sympathetic.  Under  other  circumstances 
David  would  have  wished  the  deacon  to  continue 
praying  as  long  as  he  desired  :  the  prayer  was  so 
unusual  in  its  inspirational  power.  But  there  was 
the  waiting  congregation  !  And  this  fact  turned 
the  eloquence  of  the  deacon's  petition  into  a  scald- 
ing stream,  torturing  poor  David  instead  of  blessing 
him.  But  the  deacon  also  was  conscious  of  the 
waiting  audience,  and  with  effort  kept  down  the 
rising  flow  of  words  ;  and  when  the  prayer  was 
finished  David  added  a  fervent  "Amen,"  the 
meaning  of  which  was  by  no  means  limited  to  the 
sanctioning  of  the  deacon's  prayer.  Glancing 
nervously  at  his  watch  as  he  rose  from  his  knees, 
David  saw  that  he  was  seven  and  a  half  minutes 
late.  In  not  the  best  frame  of  mind  to  meet  his 
congregation,  he  stepped  through  the  doorway  and 
took  his  seat  behind  the  pulpit. 

During  the  anthem  before  the  sermon  he  re- 
gained his  composure  sufficiently  to  glance  over 
the  audience.  A  lady  with  a  large  black  hat 
moved  a  little  to  one  side.  David  thought  he  saw 
a  familiar  face.  Could  it  be  possible  that  the 
portly  gentleman  sitting  there  was  Dr.  Graham, 
president  of  Greene  College  ?  For  a  moment  the 
lady's  hat  intercepted  David's  view,  then  it  moved 
to  one  side  again.  There  was  no  doubting  it — 


DAVID  BALDWIN  70 

there  sat  the  genial  doctor,  one  of  the  best  preach- 
ers in  the  church.  In  another  direction  where  the 
faces  were  nearly  all  strange,  David  detected  an- 
other familiar  face.  Shades  of  the  patriarchs  !  if 
there  wasn't  Dr.  Harmon,  one  of  his  divinity  pro- 
fessors. In  other  parts  of  the  audience  David 
recognized  three  more  well-known  clergymen. 
Though  David  knew  that  Tioga  was  something 
of  a  summer  resort,  with  easy  access  to  good  fish- 
ing and  boating,  he  had  never  dreamed  of  having 
to  preach  before  such  men. 

Already  embarrassed  because  he  had  kept  the 
congregation  waiting  so  long,  David's  propensity 
to  perspire  received  a  new  impetus  as  he  saw 
these  eminent  clergymen  sitting  before  him. 
Every  pore  in  his  body  seemed  like  a  bubbling 
spring.  From  his  temples  a  little  stream  of  per- 
spiration trickled  down  the  side  of  his  face  ;  his 
collar  grew  less  and  less  able  to  maintain  an  up- 
right position. 

At  this  juncture  the  anthem  was  finished  and 
the  time  for  the  sermon  had  come.  David  arose, 
and  opening  his  study  Bible  to  the  tenth  chapter 
of  John's  Gospel,  read  the  tenth  verse  as  his  text 
As  he  did  so,  he  noticed  Mr.  Waller,  the  reporter, 
in  one  of  the  pews  to  the  extreme  left,  begin 
to  take  short-hand  notes.  This  was  David's  first 
experience  in  being  reported  ;  in  an  instant  as  he 
saw  Mr.  Waller,  he  forgot  the  introductory  sen- 
tences of  his  sermon.  Without  hesitation,  how- 
ever, he  re-read  the  text  and  again  announced  its 


80  THE  MINISTRY  OF 

location.  He  glanced  hurriedly  at  his  notes  ;  he 
never  carried  his  manuscript  into  the  pulpit ;  but 
his  outline  was  meaningless  to  him  as  he  now 
looked  at  it 

What  should  he  do  ?  He  could  not  recall  a 
single  word  he  had  intended  to  say.  And  worse 
than  this  he  could  not  remember  any  of  the  ideas 
of  his  introduction.  The  whole  section  was  a 
blank.  Stepping  to  one  side  of  the  pulpit  with  as 
much  deliberation  as  if  he  had  planned  to  do  so, 
David  said  : 

"My  friends " 

A  hush  passed  over  the  congregation.  Every 
face  turned  toward  him.  Here  and  there  persons 
leaned  a  little  to  one  side  to  get  a  better  view  of 
the  speaker.  David  looked  over  the  audience  as 
a  speaker  does  sometimes  when  he  is  waiting  for 
the  people  to  get  very  still.  The  audience  before 
David,  save  for  the  slight  noise  produced  by  the 
fans,  became  quiet.  David  had  not  the  remotest 
idea  what  he  should  say  next ;  but  the  occasion 
demanded  that  something  should  be  said  and  said 
at  once.  Though  the  interval  since  he  had  pro- 
nounced the  first  two  words  seemed  painfully  long 
to  him,  it  was  in  reality  no  longer  than  a  breath. 
As  if  continuing  what  he  had  planned  to  say, 
David  went  on : 

" for  ten  years  I  have  been  looking  for- 
ward to  this  moment." 

Oh,  what  a  falsehood  !  He  had  never,  never 
looked  forward  to  such  a  moment  as  this.  How 


DAVID  BALDWIN  81 

different  the  moment  was  from  anything  he  had 
ever  expected !  The  people  were  all  attention. 
Deacon  Long,  sitting  in  the  rear  of  the  house,  was 
holding  his  right  hand  up  to  his  ear  to  assist  his 
hearing.  Again  it  seemed  to  David  that  he  had 
made  a  pause  of  intolerable  length  when  in  reality 
it  was  no  longer  than  the  other.  The  words  had 
escaped  him.  He  hardly  knew  how  or  why. 
Now  they  must  be  followed  up  by  some  statement. 
But  what  should  it  be?  What?  Again  David 
spoke. 

"  For  the  first  time  since  I  began  studying  for 
the  ministry," — were  the  words  that  came.  But 
how  should  he  finish  the  sentence  ?  Should  he 
frankly  confess  that  for  the  first  time  since  he 
began  speaking  in  public  his  senses  had  failed 
him  ?  Perhaps  it  would  be  best  to  make  this  ex- 
planation and  dismiss  the  audience.  No,  no  ;  the 
humiliation  of  it  would  crush  him.  But  how  to 
finish  that  sentence?  This  debating  in  David's 
mind  having  occupied  no  more  time  than  it  takes 
to  make  a  natural  pause  in  the  middle  of  a  sen- 
tence, the  speaker,  struggling  to  finish  the  sentence 
in  a  way  which  would  not  appear  utterly  senseless, 
said  : 

" it  is  possible " 

Of  all  the  possibilities  imaginable  which  one 
should  it  be  ?  was  the  thought  in  David's  mind 
as  the  word  " possible"  escaped  from  his  lips. 
But  quick  as  a  flash,  without  any  perceptible  hesi- 
tation, the  sentence  was  finished  with  these  words  : 


82  THE  MINISTRY  OF 

" for  me  to  think  of  myself  as  a  pastor  and 

of  a  congregation  as  my  people." 

The  fog  had  lifted.  As  David  uttered  these 
words  his  mind  cleared.  He  knew  what  he  had 
said  and  now  continued  for  a  moment  along  the 
same  line,  telling  the  congregation  how  much  he 
had  looked  forward  during  all  of  his  student  years 
to  the  time  when  he  should  be  a  pastor ;  how  he 
had  almost  envied  those  pastors  who  had  held  a 
large  place  in  the  sympathy  and  prayers  of  a 
church.  And  now  that  this  opportunity  had  come 
to  him,  the  privilege  of  being  a  pastor,  he  asked 
for  a  place  in  the  affection  of  his  people,  and  to  be 
upheld  by  their  prayers  and  their  sympathy. 

As  if  all  of  this  had  been  planned  and  was  now 
out  of  the  way,  David  turned  to  his  sermon.  The 
subject  was  one  which  possessed  him — "  the  con- 
tagion of  life."  By  a  gradual  approach  he  led  up 
to  the  statements  that  the  great  need  of  the  world 
is  spiritual  health,  and  that  this  could  be  attained 
by  the  individual  who  would  place  his  life  daily 
by  the  side  of  that  of  the  Christ ;  that  this  assimila- 
tion of  the  thought  and  the  spirit  of  the  Christ  is 
salvation  ;  and  that  as  Christ  is  the  perfect  source 
of  spiritual  health,  so  his  followers  should  be 
sources  in  themselves,  each  in  some  worthy 
measure  imparting  spiritual  health  to  the  lives  that 
are  nearest. 

During  the  delivery  of  the  sermon  David  was 
above  his  average ;  indeed,  seldom  had  his  thoughts 
so  pressed  for  expression ;  seldom  had  he  been 


DAVID  BALDWIN  83 

carried  into  such  flights  of  imagination  and  impas- 
sioned oratory.  The  glow  of  utterance  was  upon 
him;  and,  as  if  an  illustration  of  the  central 
thought  of  the  discourse,  the  audience  caught 
something  of  the  speaker's  glow  and  enjoyed  it 
with  him. 

At  the  close  of  the  service  David  mingled  with 
the  people  in  the  rear  of  the  church,  shaking 
hands  with  as  many  as  he  could  as  they  passed 
out.  Dr.  Harmon  greeted  him  warmly. 

"  I  wish  to  express  my  appreciation  of  the  service, 
Mr.  Baldwin,"  said  he.  "  I  am  well  pleased  with 
it  all,  but  especially  with  your  opening  remarks 
which  were  all  the  more  effective  for  being  spon- 
taneous and  unstudied." 

David  did  not  think  it  worth  while  to  make  a 
confession  just  then.  As  he  joined  Miriam  who, 
under  the  charge  of  Mrs.  Strong,  had  been  meet- 
ing several  of  the  ladies  of  the  church,  he  was  told 
that  they  were  invited  to  go  home  with  Mrs.  Strong 
for  dinner. 


VI 

IF  it  were  possible  for  a  pastor  to  become  both 
invisible  and  omnipresent,  and  thus  on  Sun- 
day morning  at  the  close  of  the  service  ac- 
company each  of  his  hearers  home,  what  do  you 
think  would  be  the  state  of  his  mind  after  an  hour 
or  two  ?  What  do  you  think  would  be  the  state  of 
your  pastor's  mind  ?  How  do  you  suppose  you 
would  feel,  if  you  were  a  clergyman,  to  hear  re- 
marks about  the  way  you  combed  your  hair,  or,  if 
you  happened  to  have  but  little  hair,  to  hear  your 
bald  spot  discussed — what  a  pity  your  hair  is  get- 
ting thin,  how  did  it  happen  ?  did  it  come  from 
over-study  ?  too  bad  for  a  clergyman  to  have  a 
bald  spot !  flies  were  always  so  annoying  to  minis- 
ters with  bald  heads  ;  to  hear  further  remarks  and 
sundry  observations  about  your  ears,  your  nose, 
your  teeth,  your  eyes,  your  hands,  your,  feet,  the 
shoes  you  wore,  your  height,  your  breadth,  your 
voice,  your  gestures,  your  way  of  sitting  down, 
your  manner  of  getting  up,  your  way  of  standing 
— too  much  on  one  foot  or  your  feet  were  too  far 
apart — the  length  of  your  prayers,  the  length  of 
your  discourse,  your  diction,  your  enunciation, 
your  way  of  reading  the  Scripture,  your  manner  of 
announcing  the  hymns,  how  you  opened  the  serv- 
ice, how  you  closed  it,  how  you  looked  up  or  how 
you  looked  down,  your  peculiar  way  of  closing 

84 


DAVID  BALDWIN  85 

your  mouth  ;  to  hear  opinions,  quite  the  opposite  to 
what  you  hold,  attributed  to  you  ;  to  hear  your  own 
thoughts,  dear  to  you  because  your  own  mental  off- 
spring, repeated  in  such  mutilated  forms  as  to  be 
scarcely  recognizable  ;  to  hear  comparisons  drawn 
between  you  and  the  Reverend  Blank ;  to  hear 
your  family  freely  discussed — how  your  wife  was 
dressed,  and  how  she  looked — better  than  usual, 
or  was  she  not  just  a  trifle  paler  ?  It  was  too  bad 
her  health  wasn't  better ;  to  hear  some  of  your 
audience  speaking  in  extravagant  praise  of  your- 
self and  of  your  sermon,  while  others  were  unable 
to  see  why  the  good  Lord  had  ever  put  it  into 
your  head  to  preach  at  all ;  to  hear  violent  argu- 
ments over  whether  you  had  said  this  or  that, 
whether  you  were  not  too  conservative  or  too 
liberal,  et  cetera,  adinfinitum  ;  how  do  you  suppose 
you  would  feel  to  hear  yourself  discussed  in  this 
way? 

"But,"  you  reply,  "a  clergyman  doesn't  know 
what  is  being  said  about  him,  and  if  it  does  the 
people  any  good,  why  let  them  talk." 

Let  it  be  hoped  that  these  discussions  and  re- 
marks about  ministers  do  accomplish  some  good  ; 
but  is  it  true  that  clergymen  are  unaware  of  what 
the  members  of  their  congregation  are  saying  of 
them?  They  may  be  for  a  time,  but  sooner  or 
later  it  filters  through  unsuspected  channels  to  the 
ears  of  the  pastor  or  the  pastor's  wife.  Of  course 
this  is  all  very  well  so  long  as  the  pastor  is 
in  high  favor ;  it  is  likely  he  can  do  better  work  if 


86  THE  MINISTRY  OF 

he  knows  that  his  efforts  are  appreciated.  But 
when  dissatisfaction  has  arisen,  the  channels  un- 
fortunately are  still  open ;  and  few  conditions  in 
life  are  more  painful  than  that  of  a  clergyman's, 
when  the  tide  of  popular  favor  has  turned  against 
him. 

As  the  congregation  was  leaving  the  church 
after  David's  first  sermon  as  pastor,  Mr.  Driver, 
coming  out  of  the  lecture-room  where,  before  the 
service,  he  usually  left  his  hat  and  Sunday  mail, 
accosted  Deacon  Long. 

"  Well,  deacon,"  said  .he,  tapping  him  lightly 
on  the  shoulder, /'that  was  what  I  call  a  down- 
right sensible  sermon.  None  of  your  pious  non- 
sense in  that  discourse,  eh  ?  " 

"The  sermon  was  very  good,"  replied  the 
deacon,  "  very  good ;  at  least  what  I  heard  of  it 
was.  But  don't  you  think  he  talks  too  low  ?  In 
the  back  of  the  church  where  I  was  sitting,  one 
could  scarcely  hear  half  what  he  said." 

"Nonsense!"  returned  Driver.  "The  young 
man  has  a  very  good  voice.  But  say,  deacon, 
people  who  are  hard  of  hearing  shouldn't  sit  in 
the  extreme  rear  of  the  church." 

"  But  Pm  not  hard  of  hearing,"  replied  Deacon 
Long,  quickly.  "  I  can  hear  very  well  anywhere 
in  the  church  if  the  speaker  has  a  good  voice." 

Mr.  Driver  laughed  as  he  passed  on.  He  had 
his  own  opinion  of  the  sermon  and  cared  very 
little  what  other  people  thought  of  it.  Not  so 


DAVID  BALDWIN  87 

with  Deacon  Long.  He  was  not  always  certain 
whether  he  liked  a  sermon  or  not  until  he  had 
heard  various  remarks  about  it  and  had  talked  it 
over  with  his  wife.  Sometimes  it  was  nearly  the 
middle  of  the  week  before  he  came  to  any  definite 
conclusion.  So  while  waiting  to  hear  what  some 
of  the  other  members  might  say,  he  met  Mr. 
Strong. 

"  Well,  Deacon  Long,  how  did  you  enjoy  the 
sermon  this  morning?"  said  Mr.  Strong,  shaking 
the  deacon's  hand  which  moved  up  and  down  not 
unlike  a  pump-handle.  "  Fine  discourse,  wasn't 
it?" 

"Better  than  I  expected,"  acknowledged  the 
deacon ;  "at  least  so  far  as  I — yes,  it  was  very 
good,"  said  he,  changing  his  sentence. 

"  Wasn't  that  a  grand  sermon ! "  exclaimed 
Mrs.  Harrington,  approaching  the  two  gentlemen. 
"And  I'm  glad  we  have  at  last  got  a  minister 
progressive  enough  to  use  the  Revised  Version." 

"The  deacon  and  I  were  just  saying  how  much 
we  enjoyed  the  discourse,"  said  Mr.  Strong. 

"  Yes,  it  was  better  than  I  had  expected,"  re- 
peated the  deacon  ;  "  at  least  what — yes,  I  liked 
it  very  well,"  said  he. 

"Good-morning,  Deacon  Long,"  said  Mrs. 
Terry,  a  moment  later.  "  It  seems  nice  to  have 
a  pastor  again,  doesn't  it?  I  enjoyed  the  sermon 
so  much  !  How  did  you  like  it  ?  " 

"  Good-morning,  Mrs.  Terry ;  good-morning, 
Deacon  Long,"  said  Miss  Irving,  breaking  in 


88  THE  MINISTRY  OF 

before  the  deacon  had  time  to  reply.  "  Delight- 
ful sermon,  wasn't  it  ?  His  thought  was  so  clear 
that  it  was  a  pleasure  to  follow  him." 

The  ladies  passed  on  shaking  hands  with  those 
who  stood  near,  and  the  deacon  after  greeting 
two  or  three  others,  made  his  way  to  where  Mr. 
Brand  was  standing. 

"  The  congregation  seem  well  pleased  with  the 
sermon,"  said  the  deacon  without  committing  him- 
self. The  two  walked  a  little  aside.  Mr.  Brand 
was  silent. 

"  Don't  you  think  his  voice  is  pitched  a  little 
too  low  ?  "  the  deacon  asked,  trying  to  draw  the 
other  out. 

"  Possibly,  though  I  hadn't  noticed  it,"  was  the 
reply. 

"  Driver  spoke  very  highly  of  the  sermon,"  said 
the  deacon,  knowing  that  this  was  what  Brand 
was  waiting  for. 

"  Did  he  ?  "  said  the  other. 

"Yes.     He  said  it  was  a  'downright  sensible 


sermon.' " 


"  Anything  else  ?  " 

"  He  said  something  about  the  discourse  not 
containing  *  any  of  your  pious  nonsense.'  " 

"E-um'm,  e-um'm,"  responded  Brand  without 
opening  his  lips  and  with  significant  nods  of  his 
head.  "  Driver  said  that,  did  he  ?  " 

"  Yes,"  replied  the  deacon,  anxious  to  discover 
Brand's  opinion. 

"  Of  course,  anybody  knowing  what  Driver  be- 


DAVID  BALDWIN  89 

lieves  could  have  told  what  he'd  thought  of  that 
sermon.  You  didn't  hear  it  all,  did  you  ?  " 

"  His  voice  didn't  carry  very  well,"  said  the 
deacon,  "  and  I  guess  I  did  miss  about  half  of  it." 

"  I  thought  so ;  I  thought  so,"  said  Brand  with 
more  significant  and  mysterious  nods  of  his  head. 

"  You  don't  mean  that  you  detected  anything 
unsound  ?  "  Deacon  Long  asked  in  a  low,  eager 
voice. 

"  I  haven't  made  such  a  statement  and  I  prefer 
not  to  express  my  opinion  either  one  way  or  the 
other.  But  time  will  tell,  time  will  tell,"  said 
Brand,  with  the  same  mysterious  air ;  and  seeing 
his  wife  waiting  for  him,  Brand  joined  her  at  the 
main  exit. 

Deacon  Long  and  his  wife  were  among  the 
last  to  leave  the  church.  "  Everybody  seem  well 
pleased  with  the  sermon,"  ventured  Mrs.  Long,  as 
they  were  walking  slowly  home. 

"  Several  spoke  very  highly  of  it,"  said  he. 

"  Not  everybody,  then  ?  " 

"  I  heard  some  remarks  which  were  not  so 
favorable,"  admitted  the  deacon. 

They  walked  a  part  of  a  block  in  silence. 

"Was  it  Brother  Driver?"  she  asked  at  length. 

"  No." 

"  Then  it  was  Brother  Brand  ?  " 

-Yes." 

After  a  moment  in  which  neither  had  spoken, 
the  deacon  continued,  "  I  rather  think  that  Brand 
suspects  something." 


90  THE  MINISTRY  OF 

"  Suspects  ?"  exclaimed  Mrs.  Long,  horrified. 

"  Yes.  Though  Brand  didn't  say  so  in  just  that 
many  words,  yet  I  am  positive  that  he  suspects 
Mr.  Baldwin  of  being  unsound  in  his  orthodoxy." 
This  disclosure  was  made  with  apparent  reluc- 
tance. "You  know,  Mr.  Baldwin  is  from  the 
University  of  the  West,"  he  added. 

"  But — I  didn't  detect  anything  unorthodox  in 
the  sermon,  did  you,  Jacob  ?  " 

"  Not — well,  not  exactly  unsound,  Josephine," 
admitted  the  deacon,  with  hesitation.  "  But,  then, 
where  I  sat  one  couldn't  hear  all  that  he  did  say," 
said  he,  as  if  excusing  himself  for  having  been  de- 
linquent in  one  of  his  important  duties. 

"  Perhaps,  Jacob,"  said  his  wife,  "  you  had  bet- 
ter sit  a  little  further  front  next  Sunday." 

"  Why,  what  difference  would  that  make,  Jo- 
sephine ?  "  asked  the  deacon,  with  the  least  bit  of 
irritation.  "  From  the  way  you  talk,  one  would 
think  I  was  deef." 

"  You  know  I  don't  think  any  such  a  thing, 
Jacob,"  she  hastened  to  reply.  "  But  Mr.  Bald- 
win's voice  doesn't  seem  to  carry  well,  and  I 
thought  if  you'd  a  mind  to  sit  a  little  nearer  the 
pulpit  you  might  catch  what  was  said  better.  For 
the  deacons  cannot  be  too  watchful,  they  cannot 
be  too  particular,  Jacob,  if  Brother  Brand  has  rea- 
sons for  his  suspicions.  And  I  should  feel  terribly 
humiliated,  Jacob,  if  you,  the  senior  deacon  in  the 
church,  let  either  of  the  others  get  ahead  of  you  in 
detecting  unsound  doctrine." 


DAVID  BALDWIN  91 

"  Perhaps  you're  right,  Josephine,"  said  he ; 
"  mebbe  I'd  better  sit  a  few  seats  nearer  the  pul- 

pit.- 

"  I  think  you'd  better,  Jacob  ;  and  wouldn't  it  be 
well  also  to  keep  a  note-book  and  take  down  some 
of  the  suspicious  statements?  There's  nothing 
like  getting  such  things  down  in  black  and  white." 

"  Mebbe  I'd  better,  Josephine,"  said  he  solemnly. 

Having  raised  a  family  of  five  children,  all  of 
whom  had  long  since  been  married,  Deacon  Long 
and  his  wife  were  gracefully  approaching  the  even- 
tide of  their  earthly  existence.  Their  three  daugh- 
ters, on  marrying,  had  removed  to  other  cities  ; 
but  the  two  sons  had  succeeded  their  father  in  the 
bakery  business.  It  was  a  source  of  grief  to  both 
the  deacon  and  his  wife  that  neither  of  the  sons 
had  ever  joined  the  church. 

The  Brands  and  Mrs.  Allen  were  waiting  for  the 
street  car  when  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Wood  joined  them 
at  the  corner. 

"  A  thoroughly  good  sermon  we  had  this  morn- 
ing," said  the  doctor,  pleasantly.  "  Though  not  a 
churchman  myself,  I  always  reserve  the  right  to 
enjoy  a  good  sermon  when  I  am  fortunate  enough 
to  hear  one." 

Dr.  Wood  was  a  physician,  a  highly  cultivated 
man  whose  views  on  religious  subjects  were  known 
to  be  extremely  liberal.  He  was  not  a  regular  at- 
tendant at  church. 

"  Yes,  I  think  we  are  to  be  congratulated  for 


92  THE  MINISTRY  OF 

having  secured  such  a  man  as  Mr.  Baldwin,"  said 
Mrs.  Wood,  enthusiastically. 

Mrs.  Brand  looked  at  her  husband,  whose  opinion 
of  the  service  she  had  not  yet  learned  ;  but  as  he 
did  not  immediately  speak,  she  said,  "Ye-s,  I  hope 
he  may  do  a  great  deal  of  good."  But,  having 
taken  her  clew  from  her  husband's  reticence,  there 
was  something  in  her  tone  which  seemed  to  say, 
"  But  I  doubt  it,  though." 

The  arrival  of  the  car  cut  short  the  necessity  for 
further  conversation.  Later,  at  the  dinner-table, 
Mrs.  Brand  asked,  "  Was  there  anything  the  mat- 
ter, Sylvester,  with  the  sermon  this  morning?" 

"  Why,  you  heard  what  the  preacher  said,  didn't 
you  ?  "  was  the  reply. 

"  Ye-s,  but  I  can't  recall  anything  that  was  par- 
ticularly out  of  place.  What  was  it,  Sylvester  ?  " 

"  Have  I  said  that  there  was  anything  out  of 
place  ?  "  he  asked  coolly.  "  Didn't  you  hear  any 
number  of  people  speak  in  favor  of  the  sermon?" 

"  But  I  know  very  well,  Sylvester,  that  you're 
not  pleased  with  it." 

"  Well  ?  "  he  rejoined. 

In  the  Brand  household  there  were  four  sons, 
the  youngest  of  whom  had  recently  secured  a  po- 
sition as  assistant  city  engineer  somewhere  in  Wis- 
consin ;  the  other  three  boys  were  at  home,  at 
least  they  took  their  meals  at  home  and  slept  there. 
Though  Mr.  Brand  had  wished  for  one  or  two  of 
his  sons  to  enter  his  office  and,  having  grown  up 
in  the  business,  to  succeed  him  when  the  time 


DAVID  BALDWIN  93 

came,  none  of  them  could  be  persuaded  to  do  it. 
Whether  it  was  that  they  did  not  fancy  the  coal 
and  wood  business,  or  what  was  the  difficulty,  no 
one  knew  ;  but  each  one  of  the  three  had  tried  it, 
and  left  the  office  in  disgust,  one  to  learn  the 
printer's  trade,  another  to  become  a  clerk  in  a 
grocery  store,  while  the  third  had  not  settled  at 
anything  definite  yet.  As  can  be  readily  imagined, 
there  was  not  the  most  cordial  feeling  between  the 
father  and  his  sons. 

"  Why,  mother,  can't  you  see  why  father  don't 
like  the  sermon  ?  Mr.  Driver  was  pleased  with  it, 
and  that's  reason  enough,"  said  Albert,  the  oldest 
son. 

"  Some  people  think  they  are  very  smart,"  was 
the  father's  reply. 

"  Now,  Sylvester,  if  you  saw  anything  wrong  in 
the  sermon,  I  think  you  might  say  so.  Some  men 
are  so  tantalizing  1 " 

"  Tantalizing  ?  What  have  I  done  now,  I'd  like 
to  know  ?  " 

"  Done  ?  You  know  very  well  what  you're  do- 
ing— keeping  your  opinion  of  the  sermon  all  to 
yourself  and  acting  so  mysterious  about  it." 

"  Perhaps  I  have  no  opinion,"  said  he. 

"  Sylvester  Brand  I  you  know  as  well  as  I  do 
that  you've  got  something  in  your  mind  which 
you're  holding  back." 

"  Well,  suppose  I  had — would  there  be  any  great 
harm  in  that  ?  " 

"  Harm  ?     If  you're  not  one  of  the  most  ag- 


9±  THE  MINISTRY  OF 

gravating  men !  If  there's  anything  provoking 
in  this  world  it's  being  mysterious  about  some- 
thing." 

"  Never  mind,  mother,"  said  Albert,  "  I'll  go  to 
church  next  Sunday  and  size  up  the  new  dominie. 
I  can  tell  why  father  don't  like  him." 

"  I  do  wish  you  boys  would  go  to  church  more," 
said  Mrs.  Brand,  with  a  sigh.  "  You  used  to  go 
every  Sunday." 

With  the  exception  of  Vincent,  the  youngest  son, 
who  became  a  member  of  the  church  while  attend- 
ing the  University,  Mr.  Brand's  sons  had  dropped 
out  of  the  Sunday-school  and  from  regular  attend- 
ance at  church  when  they  were  fourteen  or  fifteen 
years  of  age. 

While  the  conversation  at  the  Brand  dinner 
table  was  in  progress  much  after  its  usual  fashion, 
several  other  groups  were  discussing  the  new 
pastor's  sermon,  in  characteristic  fashion. 

"  Papa,  you  should  have  been  at  church  this 
morning ;  we  had  the  loveliest  sermon,"  said  Miss 
Marshall  with  all  of  her  usual  overflowing  enthu- 
siasm. "  Didn't  we,  mamma  ?  " 

"  Yes,  dear ;  Mr.  Baldwin  preached  very  accept- 
ably," answered  her  mother.  "  Only  a  little  of  the 
dressing,  Rufus,"  addressing  her  husband  as  he 
was  serving  her  plate. 

"  Acceptably  ?  Why,  mamma,  that's  altogether 
too  mild  a  term,"  said  the  daughter,  dismayed  at 
this  lack  of  support. 


DAVID  BALDWIN  95 

"What  was  the  sermon  about,  daughter?" 
asked  Mr.  Marshall,  as  he  passed  Ethel  her  plate. 

"  Oh,  mamma  can  tell  better  than  I  can,"  said  she. 

"  But  I'm  busy,  dear.  Go  on  and  tell  your  papa 
what  the  sermon  was  about." 

"I  hardly  know  where  to  begin,  papa,"  said 
Ethel.  "  But  it  was  just  grand  1  Of  course  I  can- 
not begin  to  tell  you  all  of  it,  but  his  subject  was 
something  about  our  lives  being  contagious. 
And  then  he  was  so  earnest  I  He  was  so  intent 
on  making  each  of  us  feel  what  he  felt  and  see 
what  he  was  seeing.  He  just  forgot  all  about  him- 
self !  Oh,  it  was  just  grand  1  Have  I  got  it  right 
so  far,  mamma  ?  " 

"  I  think  so,  dear,"  the  mother  replied. 

"  But  how  did  he  develop  his  theme,  daughter  ? 
What  were  his  points  ? — you  know  ministers  al- 
ways have  points  in  their  sermons,"  said  Mr. 
Marshall.  Ethel  was  his  only  child,  and  though 
he  had  wished  for  a  son,  yet  for  these  twenty 
years  his  daughter  had  remained  the  sole  idol  of 
his  heart. 

"  What  was  his  first  point,  mamma  ?  I  don't 
remember  what  he  did  say  at  first — I  was  busy 
looking  at  the  minister's  wife.  I'm  sure  I  shall 
like  her!" 

"  Yes,  Mrs.  Baldwin  has  a  good  face,"  said  Mrs. 
Marshall. 

"  If  only  she  wasn't  so  short  I "  exclaimed  Ethel, 
who  was  tall  and  graceful.  "  Isn't  it  too  bad, 
mamma,  that  Mrs.  Baldwin  is  so  short  ?  "  • 


96  THE  MINISTRY  OF 

"  But,  my  dear,  she  can't  help  it.  We  have  to 
take  our  figures  as  they  come  to  us,"  said  Mrs. 
Marshall. 

"  Certainly,  mamma ;  but  I  think  it's  just  too 
bad  for  a  minister's  wife  to  be  so  short.  One 
likes  to  look  up  to  the  minister's  wife,  you  know. 
She  should  be  grand  and  stately.  But  did  you 
notice  her  complexion,  mamma  ?  I'm  sure  she 
had  the  best  complexion  this  morning  of  any  lady 
in  the  audience  1  I  wonder  what  she  uses  ?  "  Ethel 
looked  at  her  mother  inquiringly  ;  but  it  was  her 
father  who  replied. 

"  Doubtless,"  said  he,  "  she  takes  plenty  of  ex- 
ercise in  the  open  air  and  doesn't  eat  too  much 
candy  and  pastry." 

"  Now,  papa !  That's  a  horrid  stab  at  me," 
cried  Ethel.  "Of  course  I  know  I  do  eat  too 
many  caramels — but  why  do  you,  you  old  dear, 
bring  them  home  ?  And,  mamma,  did  you  notice 
Mrs.  Baldwin's  hair  ?  I  simply  dote  on  such  hair  ! 
Her  hair  is  perfectly  exquisite,  papa !  "  exclaimed 
Ethel,  misplacing  the  accent  of  her  adjective. 

"  But  the  sermon,  daughter  ;  I'm  waiting  to  hear 
something  more  of  this  wonderful  sermon,"  said 
Mr.  Marshall. 

"  Well,  let  me  see,"  said  Ethel,  as  if  calling  all 
her  mental  powers  to  the  task  ;  "  of  the  first  part  I 
don't  remember  very  much — I  was  enraptured 
with  that  auburn  hair.  But  the  last  part  of  the 
sermon  was  grand,  wasn't  it,  mamma?" 

"  I  enjoyed  the  whole  discourse  very  much, 


DAVID  BALDWIN  97 

dear,"  replied  her  mother,  as  she  passed  her  hus- 
band the  marmalade. 

"  Then  tell  us,  daughter,  what  he  said  in  the  last 
part,"  suggested  Mr.  Marshall,  who  was  always 
delighted  with  his  daughter's  descriptions. 

"  But  I  can't  begin  to  tell  it  as  the  minister  did* 
papa  ;  but  it  was  something  about  the  Christ-life 
— didn't  he  say  Christ-life,  mamma? — something 
about  the  Christ-life  being  contagious ;  that  religion 
meant  catching  the  Christ-life  and  giving  it  to 
others.  Wasn't  that  it,  mamma  ?" 

"I  think  his  idea  was  something  like  that," 
replied  the  mother. 

"  Of  course,  papa,  I  don't  mean  that  Mr.  Bald- 
win used  just  the  words  that  I  used,"  said  the  girl, 
earnestly. 

"  I  understand,  daughter,"  said  Mr.  Marshall ; 
"  I  am  sure  it  must  have  been  a  sensible  sermon, 
though  I  fear  ministers  do  not  always  preach  com- 
mon sense." 

,  Mr.  Marshall  was  a  keen  student  of  human 
nature,  a  man  of  good  business  capacity,  able  to 
amass  wealth  but  not  always  judicious  in  his  in- 
vestments. As  president  of  the  Tioga  Gas  and 
Electric  Company,  he  had  at  various  times  gath- 
ered together  considerable  sums  of  money,  but 
these  had  disappeared  in  fruitless  speculations. 
No  man  in  the  city  had  a  larger  or  a  more  tender 
heart ;  he  was  always  helping  somebody ;  and 
among  his  fellow-citizens  none  was  held  in  higher 
esteem.  Just  why  he  never  became  a  member  of 


98  THE  MINISTRY  OF 

the  church,  no  one  knew.  His  wife  and  daughter 
seldom  thought  of  the  fact ;  for  through  all  ex- 
ternal relations,  the  eyes  of  those  who  love  us  see 
deep  down  into  what  we  really  are  ;  and  this  wife 
and  daughter  saw  and  were  satisfied. 

At  the  Stewarts',  the  dinner  was  begun,  as 
usual,  in  comparative  quiet.  The  father  sat  in  his 
big  chair  at  the  head  of  the  table  ;  on  one  side  of 
him  sat  Elizabeth,  the  youngest  daughter,  on  the 
other  side,  the  eldest  son ;  Tom,  Walter  and 
Robert  came  in  order  of  their  age  next  to  Duncan, 
with  Cora  and  Mary  on  the  opposite  side,  bring- 
ing Mary,  who  always  poured  the  tea,  next  to 
her  mother.  There  was  one  married  daughter, 
Althea,  whose  chair  next  to  Mary's  was  always 
placed  at  the  table  and  more  than  half  of  the  time 
was  occupied  by  some  friend  who  chanced  either 
to  be  staying  a  few  days  with  them,  or  who  had 
merely  dropped  in  with  one  of  the  younger  mem- 
bers of  the  family.  To-day,  Miss  Andrews,  an 
intimate  friend  of  Cora's,  sat  down  to  dinner  with 
the  family. 

Mrs.  Stewart  was  in  many  ways  a  remarkable 
woman.  Marrying  at  an  early  age,  she  managed 
in  the  midst  of  her  numerous  and  exacting  house- 
hold duties  to  give  herself  a  broad  and  generous 
intellectual  culture.  This  was  possible  only  be- 
cause many  generations  of  New  England  ancestry 
had  poured  forth  their  finest  mental  and  moral 
fibre  into  her  inheritance.  Her  husband,  a  most 


DAVID  BALDWIN  99 

genial  man  though  quite  unlike  his  wife  in  many 
particulars,  was  very  proud  of  her  and  of  his  chil- 
dren. The  whole  family,  before  the  mother's  par- 
tial loss  of  the  use  of  her  left  leg,  was  very  regular 
in  attendance  at  church  on  Sunday  mornings  ; 
but  for  a  few  years  the  mother  had  been  unable  to 
walk  more  than  a  part  of  a  block  at  a  time,  and 
frequently  her  husband  remained  at  home  with 
her  while  the  rest  of  the  family  attended  the  morn- 
ing worship.  On  this  morning  Mrs.  Stewart  had 
urged  him  not  to  remain  with  her  but  to  go  and 
hear  the  new  minister. 

"  The  children  do  not  always  get  the  full  under- 
standing of  the  sermon,  Ephraim,  and  I  would 
like  very  much  to  know  what  the  new  minister 
will  say  in  his  first  discourse." 

"  Very  well,  mother ;  I  will  go,"  said  he.  "  I 
guess  it's  not  too  late  to  get  in  before  the  sermon 
begins."  Selecting  his  favorite  walking-stick,  Mr. 
Stewart  hastened  to  church  and  slipped  into  one 
of  the  seats  near  the  door  just  as  the  preacher  was 
beginning  his  sermon. 

So  David  had  eight  listeners  that  morning  who 
were  all  intent  on  carrying  to  "  the  little  mother," 
as  they  fondly  called  her,  the  substance  of  the  ser- 
mon ;  and  it  is  probable  that  these  eight  persons 
listened  far  more  keenly  than  they  would  other- 
wise have  done,  had  not  each  known  that  the 
mother  would  be  sure  to  get  at  the  bottom  of  the 
matter  as  to  how  much  each  one  had  brought 
away  from  the  service. 


100  THE  MINISTRY  OF 

When  the  last  plate  had  been  served  and  the 
meal  was  well  under  headway,  the  mother 
asked : 

"  And  how  was  the  sermon  this  morning  ? ' 

Immediately  the  general  conversation  around 
the  table  subsided  ;  and  though  the  question  was 
addressed  to  no  one  in  particular,  as  the  father 
had  attended  the  service,  the  rest  waited  for  him 
to  speak  first. 

"  The  young  man  handled  his  subject  very  well, 
mother,"  was  all  that  he  said. 

There  was  silence  for  a  quarter  of  a  minute. 

"  And  what  did  he  say,  Ephraim  ?  Was  the  dis- 
course logical  ?  "  said  she,  plunging  at  once  into 
the  very  heart  of  the  subject. 

"  It  was  a  very  meaty  discourse,  mother,  a  very 
meaty  discourse ;  and  if  I  am  not  mistaken,"  he 
continued,  "  the  young  man  has  a  leaning  toward 
what's  called  the  '  newer  thought/  " 

"  His  text  was  John  10 :  10,  'I  came  that  they 
may  have  life,  and  may  have  it  abundantly,'  "  said 
Elizabeth,  glad  to  make  her  contribution  before 
some  one  else  had  gotten  ahead  of  her. 

"  He  used  the  Revised  Version,"  said  Walter. 

"  His  theme  was  The  Contagion  of  Life,  if  I  un- 
derstood it  correctly,"  said  Cora. 

"  Yes,  I  remember  that,"  said  Elizabeth. 

"  Ephraim,"  said  Mrs.  Stewart,  "  was  this  what 
you  meant  by  his  leaning  toward  the  '  newer 
thought'?" 

"  Not  exactly,  mother,  though  of  course  that 


DAVID  BALDWIN  101 

was  a  part  of  it.  His  whole  sermon  was  different 
from  the  old  type,  not  that  I  can  explain  just  how 
it  differed,  but  one  could  feel  that  there  was  a  dif- 
ference, mother." 

By  this  time  the  tongues  of  all  were  loosened, 
and  with  such  a  tableful  it  was  simply  out  of  the 
question  for  each  to  wait  his  or  her  turn  :  all  were 
eager  to  enlighten  "  the  little  mother  "  who  seemed 
to  have  no  trouble  in  catching  what  each  one  said 
though  two  or  three  did  talk  to  her  at  the  same 
time. 

"  Yes,  I  too  felt  that  the  sermon  was  different," 
said  Mary. — "  Duncan,  will  you  please  to  start  the 
bread  around  that  way  ? — It  struck  me  that  Mr. 
Baldwin's  conception  of  salvation  was  scarcely 
orthodox." 

"  Then  I  am  classified,"  said  Tom ;  "  for  Mr. 
Baldwin  agreed  with  me  perfectly." 

"  But  it  seems  to  me,"  persisted  Mary,  "  that  he 
reduces  salvation  to  something  very  vague  and 
indefinite — catching  the  Christ-life,  I  think  he 
called  it." 

"  Are  you  sure  you  understand  what  that  term 
means  ?  "  asked  Tom.  "  Perhaps  you  would  not 
find  fault  with  it  if  you  did." 

"Whatever  it  may  mean,  it  does  not  express 
my  idea  of  being  saved,"  said  Mary,  somewhat 
warmly.  "  I  for  one  want  a  more  definite  con- 
ception of  salvation  than  that." 

"  Can  a  person  who  is  sick  have  a  more  definite 
conception  of  getting  well  than  the  gaining  of 


102  THE  MINISTRY  OF 

strength  little  by  little  ?  Can  a  patient,  sick  with 
typhoid,  get  well  in  an  instant  ?  " 

"  But  being  saved  is  different,"  said  Mary, 
insistingly. 

"  Perhaps  not  so  different  as  you  seem  to 
think,"  said  Tom  with  provoking  deliberation. 
"  Mr.  Baldwin,  you  remember,  said  that  salvation 
is  to  our  spiritual  nature  what  health  is  to  our 
bodies.  And  he  agrees  with  me  exactly ;  but  he's 
the  first  minister  I  ever  heard  make  such  a  liberal 
statement." 

"  But  what  about  the  atonement?  If  we  are 
saved  by  *  catching  the  Christ-life,'  why  was  it 
needful  for  Christ  to  be  punished  for  our  sins? 
Why  couldn't  he  just  have  come  into  the  world 
and  lived  among  people  without  being  cruci- 
fied ?  " 

"  It  is  very  probable,"  said  Tom,  quietly,  "  that 
the  atonement  doesn't  mean  that  Christ  was  pun- 
ished in  our  stead." 

Mrs.  Stewart,  wishing  to  divert  this  strain  of 
the  conversation  into  another  channel,  asked, 
"  Then  you  quite  agree  with  Mr.  Baldwin,  do  you, 
Thomas  ?  " 

"  Very  heartily,  mother,"  he  replied,  detecting 
her  wish  and  governing  himself  by  it. 

This  little  act  of  Tom's  revealed  one  of  the  secrets 
of  this  well-managed  household — much  of  the  ma- 
chinery was  noiseless  and  out  of  sight. 

"  Mother,  let's  ask  the  minister  and  his  wife  to 
take  tea  with  us  soon.  Wouldn't  it  be  great  fun — 


DAVID  BALDWIN  103 

all  of  us  asking  him  questions  at  once ! "  cried  Cora, 
laughing  at  the  thought  of  it. 

"  Isn't  his  wife  a  nice  little  body  ?  "  said  Eliza- 
beth. 

"  Not  so  very  little,  Puss,"  said  Duncan  ;  "  she'll 
weigh  more  than  you  do." 

"  I  mean  she  isn't  very  tall,"  corrected  Eliza- 
beth. 

"  She's  good  natured,  I'm  sure,"  said  Cora. 

"  And  not  at  all  bad  looking,"  ventured  Robert. 

"  Yes,  she  has  a  good  look,  but  I  wouldn't  call 
her  handsome." 

u  On  most  women  I  just  cannot  bear  that  color 
of  hair,  but  on  her  it  isn't  so  bad." 

"  For  one,  I'm  thankful  that  red  hair  doesn't 
run  in  the  Stewart  family,"  ejaculated  Cora. 
"  Red  hair  must  be  a  great  trial  to  a  woman." 

"  Did  you  hear  any  of  those  who  were  present 
expressing  their  opinion  of  the  sermon  ?  "  asked  the 
mother,  tactfully  bringing  the  conversation  back  to 
the  main  subject. 

"  Oh,  yes,  I  heard  several  speak  in  glowing 
praise  of  it,"  replied  the  father. 

"  I  heard  Mr.  Driver,"  said  Robert,  "  tell  Deacon 
Long  something  about  its  being  a  *  sensible '  ser- 
mon, that  it  contained  '  none  of  your  pious  non- 
sense.' He  tapped  the  deacon  on  the  shoulder  as 
he  always  does  when  he  is  well  pleased." 

"  Then  one  can  easily  tell  what  Mr.  Brand's  at- 
titude will  be,"  said  Walter. 

"  Yes ;  those  two  men  are  never  on  the  same  side 


104  THE  MINISTRY  OF 

of  any  question,"  said  Mary.  "  I  do  wish  you  boys 
and  father  would  attend  the  business  meetings  some- 
times." 

"Perhaps  we  shall,"  said  Tom.  "Though  I 
have  no  particular  taste  for  such  meetings,  yet  I'll 
be  willing  to  do  almost  anything  if  I  can  help  make 
it  possible  for  Mr.  Baldwin  to  stay  with  us  for  any 
length  of  time." 

"  You  may  depend  upon  it,"  said  Duncan,  "  that 
Mr.  Brand  is  not  the  man  to  let  things  go  on  quietly 
with  such  a  liberal  man  as  Mr.  Baldwin  in  our 
pulpit.  In  general,  every  one  is  well  pleased,  espe- 
cially Mr.  Driver.  Consequently  Mr.  Brand  will 
not  be  able  to  see  any  good  in  him." 

"  But  what  can  he  do  ?  "  asked  Walter. 

"  Why,  it's  plain  enough,"  answered  Tom.  "  It 
is  never  the  most  difficult  thing  in  the  world  for 
one  person  to  create  a  centre  of  influence  against 
a  pastor,  and  Mr.  Brand  will  seek  to  develop  a 
suspicion  concerning  Mr.  Baldwin's  orthodoxy. 
And  you  might  as  well,  in  some  congregations, 
kill  a  minister  as  to  suspect  his  orthodoxy." 

"  Ephraim,"  asked  Mrs.  Stewart,  "  what  is  your 
opinion  about  the  new  minister's  orthodoxy?" 

"Well,"  answered  the  old  gentleman,  not  will- 
ing to  commit  himself  too  definitely  on  this  sub- 
ject, "  from  this  one  sermon  I  cannot  tell  very  much 
about  it,  mother ;  but  it's  certain  he  has  a  strong 
leaning  toward  the  newer  thought." 

"  And  the  majority  of  his  congregation  will  like 
his  preaching  all  the  better  for  it,"  said  Tom. 


DAVID  BALDWIN  105 

Two  or  three  other  strains  of  conversation  were 
in  progress  around  the  table  at  the  same  time. 
When  the  dinner  was  ended,  Mrs.  Stewart  had 
perhaps  as  good  an  understanding  of  David's  ser- 
mon as  had  many  who  heard  him  speak. 

Mrs.  James  gave  her  husband  a  fuller  and  a 
more  detailed  account  of  the  service.  "  I  couldn't 
help  but  wonder,"  said  she,  "  what  Mr.  Brand  and 
Deacon  Long  will  think  of  such  a  modern  dis- 


course." 


"  The  deacon,  my  dear,  will"  not  know  that  the 
sermon  was  modern  unless  some  one  tells  him," 
observed  her  husband. 

"  Very  probably,"  replied  Mrs.  James,  smiling ; 
"  but  with  Mr.  Brand  it  will  be  different.  Hav- 
ing been  a  minister  once  himself,  he  has  very 
decided  opinions  as  to  what  constitutes  sound 
doctrine." 

"  For  the  sake  of  the  First  Church  here  in 
Tioga,"  said  Mr.  James,  "I  am  glad  that  Mr. 
Baldwin  has  a  message  of  his  own :  that  he  is  not 
content  simply  to  repeat  words  which,  though 
they  meant  something  in  the  past,  have  now  lost 
their  value  for  this  generation.  But  in  view  of  the 
influence  that  Mr.  Brand  has  in  the  church,  I  do 
not  envy  the  young  man  his  task." 

"  Yes,  this  church  needs  just  such  a  man  as  Mr. 
Baldwin :  some  one  must  introduce  the  newer  re- 
ligious thought ;  it  must  come  some  time,  though 
I  fear  that  the  one  who  introduces  it  will  call 


106  THE  MINISTRY  OF 

down  Mr.  Brand's  strongest  opposition  upon 
him." 

"  But  I  think  the  newer  thought  could  be  very 
easily  introduced  if  it  were  not  for  Mr.  Brand  ;  for 
Mr.  Driver  is  delightfully  modern  in  much  of  his 
religious  thinking,  though  I  shall  be  surprised  if 
the  young  pastor  does  not  find  that  he  has  a  prob- 
lem on  his  hands  in  this  direction  also." 

"  Yes,  Mr.  Driver  is  especially  fond  of  having 
everything  done  in  exactly  the  way  it  was  done 
when  he  was  a  young  man.  While  he  is,  as  you 
say,  liberal  in  his  theology,  no  one  could  be  more 
conservative  in  methods  of  church  work." 

"  And  Mr.  Brand  is  just  the  opposite — extremely 
conservative  in  his  religious  opinions,  yet  in  meth- 
ods of  church  work  no  one  could  possibly  sur- 
pass him  in  wanting  to  be  up  to  date.  Thus  the 
two  of  them,"  continued  Mr.  James,  "  surely  make 
a  most  interesting  combination  for  a  pastor  to 
deal  with.  It's  like  steering  between  Scylla  and 
Chary  bdis." 

"  It's  really  too  bad  that  our  church  has  been 
handicapped  in  this  way  so  long." 

"Yes,"  replied  Mr.  James,  "and  people  gen- 
erally outside  of  the  church  seem  to  recognize 
this.  Only  yesterday,  while  in  the  bookstore,  Mr. 
Maxwell  said  something  to  me  about  it.  He 
pointed  out  what  every  one  knows  very  well — 
that  during  the  past  twenty-five  years  while  the 
other  churches  of  the  city  have  more  than  doubled 
their  membership,  the  First  Church  has  barely 


DAVID  BALDWIN  107 

held  its  own ;  and  he  was  free  to  name  Mr.  Driver 
and  Mr.  Brand,  especially  the  latter,  as  the  cause 
of  this  lack  of  growth." 

"  I  do  hope,  Lawrence,  that  Mr.  Baldwin  will  be 
permitted  to  do  something  here.  It  must  be  very 
trying  to  a  young  minister  to  encounter  such  oppo- 
sition, especially  in  his  first  pastorate." 

In  happy  unconsciousness  of  all  that  was  being 
said  of  them,  David  and  Miriam  were  enjoying  a 
delightful  repast  with  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Strong.  Their 
hostess  was  one  of  those  women  who  have  the 
happy  faculty  of  making  it  easy  for  one  to  feel 
and  appear  at  one's  best  in  their  presence ;  and 
their  host,  though  very  different  from  his  wife,  was 
also  gifted  in  the  rare  art  of  entertaining.  Mr. 
Strong  was  the  university  florist  and  professor  of 
horticulture ;  and  though  still  under  forty,  he  had 
attained  a  wide  reputation  as  an  authority  in  his 
line,  owing  to  his  successful  experiments  in  hybrid- 
izing and  to  the  able  text-book  he  had  recently 
written  on  that  subject. 

After  the  dinner,  Mrs.  Strong  proposed  a  walk 
through  the  university  conservatory:  here  her 
husband  was  at  his  best,  and  during  a  delightful 
hour  he  unfolded  many  interesting  and  surprising 
facts  to  his  guests. 

"  What  a  happy  home  ! "  exclaimed  Miriam,  as 
she  and  David  were  walking  back  to  their 
rooms. 

"Yes,"  said  David.     "And  I  hope,  sweetheart, 


108  DAVID  BALDWIN 

it  will  not  be  long  before  we  are  in  a  little  home 
all  by  ourselves." 

"  Oh,  I  can  hardly  wait ! "  exclaimed  Miriam. 
"And  I'm  so  glad,  dear,  that  we  didn't — that  I — I 
mean  that  you  didn't  come  to  Tioga  alone." 


VII 

-  dear,"  said  David  a  few  days  later, 
"this  matter  of  selecting  a  house — we 
must  decide  at  once." 

Something  had  happened.  David's  manner  and 
the  unusual  emphasis  in  his  tone  plainly  indicated 
that. 

Already  the  young  bride  was  beginning  to  in- 
terpret the  inner,  unspoken  life  of  her  husband  by 
the  little  changes  in  his  expression  and  tone,  an 
art  in  which  she  later  gained  great  proficiency. 
With  true  wifely  tact  she  now  waited  an  instant 
before  speaking :  if  David  wished  to  disclose  what 
was  in  his  mind  would  it  not  be  better  for  him  to 
do  so  unquestioned  ? 

"Yes,"  continued  David — his  tone  was  still  very 
determined — "  we  must  not  wait  any  longer ;  we 
must  select  our  house  at  once." 

The  day's  heat  had  been  very  oppressive,  for  at 
Tioga  the  hottest  summer  weather  usually  comes 
in  September.  David  and  Miriam  were  walking 
along  the  shore  of  the  lake.  A  gentle  breeze,  as 
it  stirred  the  face  of  the  lake,  was  causing  the 
numerous  small  row  boats,  tied  up  here  and  there 
to  the  private  landings,  to  beat  the  water  with 
their  prows  as  they  bobbed  up  and  down,  keeping 
time  to  the  rude  music  made  by  the  water  coming 

109 


110  THE  MINISTRY  OF 

in  contact  with  the  shore — a  peculiar  rhythmic 
sound  impossible  to  forget  when  once  it  has 
sounded  in  your  ears. 

Within  a  few  minutes  those  patient  water-steeds 
would  be  unloosed  and  speeding  toward  the  centre 
of  the  lake — some  were  already  departing,  going 
early  to  gain  a  certain  coveted  spot  from  which  to 
watch  the  sun  go  down.  This  was  the  fashion  of 
the  town — to  watch  the  sun  set  from  the  centre  of 
the  lake. 

The  origin  of  this  custom  was  as  follows :  In 
the  early  days  of  Tioga  a  woman  of  unusual  ar- 
tistic insight  and  ability,  a  Miss  Scott  by  name, 
some  of  whose  works  are  now  included  in  nearly 
all  of  the  best  American  collections,  had  resided 
here  for  a  time  with  a  brother.  One  evening  in 
early  September,  while  crossing  the  lake,  Miss  Scott 
became  enraptured  with  the  beauties  of  the  sunset. 
The  boat  was  brought  to  a  standstill  and  held  as 
near  as  possible  to  a  certain  position  while  Miss 
Scott  caught  the  peculiar  coloring  effect  and  trans- 
ferred it  to  her  folio.  Evening  after  evening  she 
returned  to  the  same  location,  studying  the  sunset. 
Later  she  transferred  the  results  of  her  study  to 
canvas,  giving,  as  it  has  been  called  by  those 
qualified  to  speak  with  authority  in  such  matters, 
a  truly  remarkable  interpretation  of  a  sunset  as 
seen  from  the  centre  of  the  lake. 

On  leaving  Tioga,  Miss  Scott  presented  her  pic- 
ture to  the  town,  with  the  stipulation  that  it  should 
always  be  accessible  to  the  public.  With  due 


DAVID  BALDWIN  111 

ceremony  the  picture  was  received  and  given  the 
most  conspicuous  place  in  the  reading-room  of  the 
town  library,  where,  since  Miss  Scott's  pictures 
have  become  famous,  many  distinguished  visitors 
have  come  to  look  at  it.  During  the  first  decade 
of  this  picture's  existence,  however,  the  inhabitants 
of  Tioga  paid  little  attention  to  it ;  many  even  forgot 
its  existence.  But  one  day  a  stranger  approached 
the  city  officials  and  offered  to  buy  Miss  Scott's 
sunset  scene.  The  figure  named  by  the  stranger 
aroused  their  suspicions.  They  hesitated.  The 
picture  was  a  gift :  ought  they  to  sell  it  ? 

"You  need  a  new  library  building.  If  you  will 
transfer  Miss  Scott's  picture  to  me,  I  will  deposit 
money  sufficient  to  erect  one.  In  that  way,"  said 
the  stranger,  "  you  will  not  be  selling  a  gift  but 
only  changing  its  form." 

Instantly  the  picture  took  on  a  new  value. 
Everybody  became  interested  in  it.  Men  and 
women  and  children  flocked  to  the  reading-room 
to  look  at  it.  No,  indeed,  the  city  would  not  part 
with  it,  not  even  for  two  library  buildings ;  and  all 
subsequent  cash  offers  were  indignantly  refused  by 
public  opinion,  i 

And  gradually  the  custom  grew  up  of  going  out 
to  the  centre  of  the  lake  on  the  anniversary  of  the 
painting  of  the  picture,  to  watch  the  sun  set  from 
the  same  spot  from  which  the  artist  had  seen  it  go 
down.  Year  after  year  the  custom  had  grown. 
Some  went  because  they  remembered  the  occasion 
of  the  picture's  birth ;  others  because  they  had  seen 


-112  THE  MINISTRY  OF 

the  artist ;  others  because  they  had  seen  the  pic- 
ture ;  while  some  went  simply  because  it  was  a 
local  custom. 

David  and  Miriam  had  seen  the  picture ;  and  as 
they  stood  before  it,  drinking  in  its  inspirational 
power,  they  too  were  seized  with  a  desire  to  wit- 
ness a  sunset  from  the  middle  of  the  lake.  In 
company  with  Mr.  Palmer  and  Miss  Fenwickthey 
had  enjoyed  this  treat  on  the  evening  before. 

As  they  walked  along  the  path  by  the  shore, 
watching  the  boats  depart,  Miriam's  position 
enabled  her,  without  appearing  to  do  so,  to  study 
her  husband's  face  while  apparently  looking  be- 
yond him  over  the  water.  Never  before  had 
Miriam  seen  her  husband  look  so  determined,  so 
fierce.  What  could  be  the  matter  ?  But  instead  of 
questioning  him,  as  a  woman  less  wise  might  have 
done,  Miriam  said, 

"  And  the  three  places  we  now  have  in  mind  are 
all  so  different — such  different  motives  enter  into 
the  consideration  of  each." 

"  Yes ;  but  if  I  felt  free,"  said  David  whose  tone 
was  softening  somewhat,  "  if  I  felt  free  to  follow  my 
own  inclinations  in  this  matter,  I  would  decide  upon 
that  cottage  in  the  iron-foundry  district.  There,  we 
could  come  in  closest  contact  with  a  number  of  fam- 
ilies who  are  wholly  outside  of  the  influence  of  the 
church.  I'm  sure  that  the  only  way  a  minister 
can  help  such  people  is  to  live  among  them :  they 
will  not  come  to  him,  he  must  go  to  them.  But  in 
discussing  this  subject  with  some  of  the  members 


DAVID  BALDWIN  113 

of  the  church,  I  find  that  they  do  not  take  at  all 
kindly  to  such  a  plan.  There  is  a  desire,  on  the 
part  of  some,  for  us  to  live  where  our  residence 
will  contribute  something  to  the  social  standing  of 
the  church.  At  least  this  is  what  Mr.  Brand  in- 
timated when  he  called  my  attention  to  that  half- 
house  on  Fourth  Street." 

"  Yes,"  said  Miriam,  "  the  subject  has  evidently 
been  discussed  ;  for  Mis.  Marshall  and  Mrs.  Har- 
rington, in  speaking  with  me  about  our  probable 
location,  made  some  remark  concerning  the  social 
importance  of  the  pastor's  residence." 

"  When  one  becomes  pastor  of  a  church,"  said 
David,  "  I  suppose  it  is  necessary  to  take  into  con- 
sideration the  wishes  of  his  congregation.  But 
since  this  church,  I  suppose  I  should  say  our 
church,  has  no  parsonage,  the  members  ought  to 
be  willing  for  us  to  select  our  home  wherever  we 
desire.  Some  of  the  members  undoubtedly  have 
social  ambitions  for  us." 

"  Is  it  not  possible,"  asked  Miriam,  "  that  they 
do  not  understand  our  motive  for  wishing  to  live 
among  the  iron-foundry  families?" 

"  Of  course.  There's  just  where  the  difficulty 
lies.  But  how  are  we  to  get  them  to  understand 
it  ?  Church  life  has  become  so  conventional,  and 
the  pastor's  activity  is  so  restricted  to  certain  pro- 
fessional duties,  that  the  ordinary  church  is  shocked 
if  its  pastor  departs  from  the  path  beaten  hard  by 
his  predecessors.  But  I'm  inclined  to  think  that 
it  would  do  a  church  good  to  have  a  pastor  just 


114  THE  MINISTRY  OF 

go  ahead  and  do  whatever  he  wanted  to  do  with- 
out regard  as  to  whether  it  was  conventional  or 
not." 

"  Perhaps  it  would,"  said  Miriam.  "  But  I'm 
not  sure,  David,  that  he  would  do  the  most  good 
in  that  way." 

"  Then  you  think,  Miriam,  we'd  better  not  take 
that  cottage  ?  "  he  asked,  still  looking  out  over  the 
waters.  "  That  community,  of  all  places  in  Tioga, 
is  where  we  could  doubtless  be  of  greatest  use." 

"  Of  greatest  use  to  our  immediate  neighbors, 
without  doubt,"  replied  Miriam.  "  But  since  we 
get  our  support  from  the  church,  are  we  not  under 
obligations  to  take  into  consideration  the  wishes 
of  those  who  support  us  ?  But  then,  David,  you 
must  decide  this  matter.  You  know  best." 

"  Well,"  said  he,  "  suppose  we  decide  by  the 
process  of  elimination.  First,  suppose  we  strike 
out  that  place  on  Fourth  Street.  To  live  there 
would  be  too  expensive  ;  it  would  cost  too  much 
in  every  way.  So  out  goes  all  further  consider- 
ation of  that  possibility." 

"  Together  with  the  social  ambitions  of  some  of 
our  members,"  added  Miriam. 

"  But  of  not  many,  I  hope.  I'm  beginning  to 
think  that  Mr.  Brand  himself  is  at  the  bottom  of 
this.  He  seems  to  have  a  great  deal  of  influ- 
ence in  the  church.  But  if  anything  further  is  said 
about  it,  we'll  say  that  as  soon  as  the  church  owns 
a  parsonage  on  Fourth  Street  we  shall  be  ready 
to  move  into  it." 


DAVID  BALDWIN  115 

"  The  other  churches  own  their  parsonages,  do 
they  not  ?  " 

"  Yes." 

"  Then  that  will  be  an  excellent  way  to  meet 
any  further  suggestions  in  that  direction." 

"  Now  for  the  cottage  on  Mill  Street.  I  may  as 
well  confess,  Miriam,  that  in  thinking  it  over  this 
afternoon  I  was  on  the  point  of  deciding  to  take 
that  cottage  among  the  iron-foundry  families 
whether  the  church  liked  it  or  not." 

"  On  the  point  of  deciding  ?  What  hindered 
you,  David,  from  coming  to  a  decision  ? "  asked 
Miriam,  looking  up  inquiringly. 

"  I  wouldn't  wonder,"  replied  David,  "  if  a  cer- 
tain little  girl  has  had  something  .to  do  with  it. 
You  see,  Miriam,"  said  he,  picking  up  a  willow 
twig  lying  by  the  side  of  the  path,  "  it's  like  this  : 
whenever  I  am  about  to  decide  any  question, 
your  judgment  on  the  matter,  what  you  would 
think  about  it,  gets  all  mixed  up  with  my  own 
ideas,  and " 

"  What  a  curious  mixture  it  must  be  !  "  laughed 
Miriam.  "  But  go  on,  dear." 

"  Well,  I'm  finding  that  in  forming  my  judg- 
ments and  decisions,  your  thoughts,  Miriam,  creep 
in  and  give  color  to  all  of  my  thinking." 

"  But,  David,  how  did  you  know  what  my 
thoughts  were?  Personally,  I  would  like  very 
much  if  we  could  take  that  cottage  on  Mill  Street" 

"  Oh,  I  could  tell.  Though  I  knew  you  would 
like  to  live  there,  that  nothing  would  suit  your 


116  THE  MINISTRY  OF 

personal  wish  better,  yet  I  could  feel  that  you  did 
not  deem  it  wise  for  us  to  go  against  the  wishes 
of  the  church.  I  had  practically  settled  the  mat- 
ter before  supper,  settled  it  not  so  much  in  view 
of  my  own  inclinations,  as  of  your  thought  on  the 
subject" 

"  But,  dear,  how  could  my  judgment  influence 
you  when  I  had  not  expressed  it  ?  " 

"  You  will  have  to  tell ;  I  can't.  But  I  know 
that  it  did  influence  me,"  replied  David.  "  Why 
sometimes,  dearest,  I  can  just  feel  what  you  would 
think  about  this  or  that,  and  I  cannot  get  away 
from  your  thought  in  forming  my  own  decisions. 
This  has  happened  more  than  once." 

"  And  I  must  confess  to  similar  experiences," 
breathed  Miriam  lowly,  as  if  touching  upon  a  sub- 
ject very  precious  to  her.  "  Strange,  isn't  it,  that 
the  lives  of  two  persons  should  so  blend  ?  " 

"  Indeed  it  is.  I  wonder  if  other  married  peo- 
ple have  ever  experienced  anything  like  this  ?  " 

"  Oh,  undoubtedly.  Have  you  never  noticed 
that  two  elderly  people  who  have  lived  happily 
together  for  many  years  even  come  to  have  the 
same  thoughts  on  nearly  all  subjects  ?  " 

"Then  we  are  in  only  the  first  stage  of  the 
process  of  blending,"  laughed  David.  "  But  to 
return  to  that  cottage.  We  are  agreed,  are  we 
not,  Miriam,  to  strike  that  also  from  our  list  ?  " 

"  Did  you  not  say,  David,  that  you  had  already 
settled  the  matter  this  afternoon?"  she  replied 
slyly.  "  But  it  is  not  too  late  for  me  to  agree 


DAVID  BALDWIN  117 

with  you.  Under  the  circumstances,  it  is  probably 
the  wisest  thing  to  drop  the  cottage  on  Mill  Street 
from  further  consideration.  Perhaps  at  some  later 
time  we  may  be  able  to  carry  out  our  plans  in  that 
direction." 

"  With  these  two  places  disposed  of,  the  question 
now  is — Will  Professor  Wilson's  house,  on  Monroe 
Avenue,  suit  us  ?  It  is  pretty  large,  but  we  can 
get  it  very  reasonably,  while  the  professor  and  his 
family  are  abroad." 

"  I  like  the  house  very  well,"  said  Miriam  ;  "  and 
even  without  the  two  rooms  up-stairs,  reserved  for 
storage,  there  is  an  abundance  of  room  for  us. 
But  isn't  the  rent — two  hundred  dollars — almost 
more  than  we  can  afford  to  pay  ?  " 

"  It  does  seem  like  making  quite  a  hole  in  our 
salary,"  admitted  David.  "  But  under  other  condi- 
tions we'd  have  to  pay  at  least  three  hundred  dol- 
lars for  that  house.  Rents  are  fearfully  high  here  in 
Tioga.  They  always  are  in  a  university  town 
where  the  institution  has  no  dormitory  system." 

"  I  noticed,"  said  Miriam,  "  when  we  were  look- 
ing at  that  house,  that  the  range  and  some 
other  such  things  are  left  in  the  kitchen.  If  we 
rented  almost  any  other  house  we'd  have  to  buy 
these." 

"  Suppose,  dear,  we  walk  around  to  the  agent's 
and  get  the  key.  It  might  be  well  for  us  to  look 
through  the  house  once  more  before  making  up 
our  minds  definitely.  I  want  to  get  this  matter 
settled  just  as  soon  as  we  can,"  said  David,  some- 


118  DAVID  BALDWIN 

thing  of  his  former  tone  and  fierceness  becoming 
apparent. 

Turning  off  from  the  path  by  the  lake,  they  set 
out  for  the  home  of  the  real  estate  agent. 

"  I  hope  Mr.  Robbins  will  not  be  out,"  he  con- 
tinued as  they  neared  the  agent's  residence.  "  If 
we  can  get  the  key,  and  look  through  that  house 
again,  we  may  be  able  to  decide  the  matter  to- 
night." 

"  It  would  be  nice  if  we  could,"  replied  Miriam. 
"  So  soon  one  gets  tired  of  boarding." 

"  Yes,"  answered  David,  grimly,  "  one  does  soon 
get  tired  of  it — especially  when  hash  is  set  before 
you  three  times  a  week !  If  there's  anything  1 
do  detest,  it's  hash  !  When  we  get  to  housekeep- 
ing, Miriam,  if  we  ever  have  hash  on  our  table, 
I'll " 

"  But  we  shall  never  have  it,  my  dear,"  inter- 
rupted Miriam,  quietly,  as  they  turned  up  the  walk 
to  Mr.  Robbins'  residence. 

How  small  a  matter  it  sometimes  takes  to  dis- 
turb the  equilibrium  of  even  so  unworldly  minded 
a  person  as  a  minister!  Miriam  smiled.  But 
David's  face  was  set  with  a  look  of  grim  determina- 
tion. Fortunately,  Mr.  Robbins  had  not  yet  left 
for  the  lake;  and  getting  the  key  to  Professor 
Wilson's  house,  these  two  home-seekers  were  soon 
doing  what  you  and  I  have  probably  done  more 
than  once — looking  the  house  over  a  second  or  a 
third  time  to  see  if  it  would  suit. 


VIII 

IF  our  knowledge  of  life  were  limited  to  certain 
interpretations  commonly  found  in  books,  it 
would  be  easy  to  draw  the  conclusion  that 
the  culmination  of  all  human  interests  is  marriage, 
and  that  beyond  this  event  there  is  nothing  worthy 
of  being  recorded.  But  to  what  a  different  con- 
clusion a  study  of  life  itself  leads  !  From  observa- 
tion, or  better  still,  experience — vastly  more  relia- 
ble sources  than  the  imaginings  of  any  man  (or 
woman) — we  may  learn  the  true  place  of  marriage  : 
it  is  rather  a  new  beginning  than  the  culmination 
of  life.  While  courtship,  with  all  of  its  interests, 
its  alternating  joys  and  sorrows,  its  expectations 
and  disappointments,  its  hopes,  its  fears,  its  com- 
promises and  adjustments,  its  contests,  its  vic- 
tories, its  glow  and  its  radiance,  is  a  truly  impor- 
tant period  in  the  life  of  the  individual,  a  period 
whose  significance  is  often  far  too  lightly  esteemed  ; 
yet  does  not  courtship  itself  gain  its  importance 
and  its  significance  from  the  fact  that  it  is  but 
preparatory  to  a  larger  life,  of  which  marriage  is 
the  beginning  ? 

But  faithfully  to  interpret  life  after  marriage  is 
a  most  difficult  task.  Here  the  problems  become 
more  complicated  ;  the  interests  more  vital ;  the 
joys  and  sorrows  and  fears  and  hopes  and  contests 

119 


120  THE  MINISTRY  OF 

and  adjustments  and  expectations  are  more  closely 
entwined  about  the  deeper  things  of  existence. 
Two  lives  are  now  joined  for  better  or  worse.  Will 
the  union  aid  or  hinder  the  working  out  of  the 
destiny  of  each?  When  a  chemist  unites  two 
substances  whose  action  and  reaction  are  not  fully 
understood,  with  what  intense  interest,  what  abated 
breath  he  watches  the  experiment !  Will  there  be 
a  violent  explosion  ?  Will  the  elements  utterly  re- 
fuse to  coalesce  ?  or  will  they  blend  quietly  ?  and 
what  will  be  the  exact  nature  of  the  new  combina- 
tion ?  How  absorbed  the  observer  as,  with  these 
questions  in  mind,  he  watches  the  result!  And 
marriage  is  not  altogether  unlike  the  union  of  two 
such  substances. 

Having  rented  Professor  Wilson's  house  on 
Monroe  Avenue,  David  and  Miriam  filled  the  days 
of  the  following  week  with  unusually  busy  hours, 
as  they  made  preparations  for  entering  their  new 
home.  It  is  no  easy  task  (so  I  have  been  told)  to 
fit  out  a  home  de  novo,  even  when  one  has  an  ample 
bank  account  on  which  to  draw ;  but  under  such 
circumstances  the  task  is  relatively  light  compared 
with  the  one  which  now  was  engaging  the  thought 
and  the  strength  of  this  young  minister  and  his 
brave  little  wife ;  for  they  were  face  to  face  with 
the  problem  of  trying  to  furnish  a  house  empty- 
handed. 

You  whose  parents,  on  one  side  or  the  other, 
furnished  your  first  home  may  feel  inclined  to  com- 
miserate the  lot  of  this  newly  married  couple.  But 


DAVID  BALDWIN  121 

do  nothing  of  the  kind.  They  do  not  need  your 
pity.  Though  every  article  bought  represents 
some  sacrifice,  something  else  given  up,  how  much 
dearer  to  them  is  each  piece  of  furniture  because 
it  has  to  be  so  carefully  considered  before  being  pur- 
chased !  Indeed,  it  is  you  who  have  never  had 
any  such  beginning  in  life  as  this,  you  who  know 
nothing  of  the  luxury  of  such  an  experience,  you 
who  should  be  commiserated  !  For  some  pleasures 
cannot  be  counterfeited  nor  duplicated  in  any  other 
form.  It  is  only  the  barefooted  boy  getting  the 
cows  on  a  cold  frosty  morning  in  early  autumn 
who  knows  the  absolutely  unparalleled  pleasure  of 
warming  his  feet  on  the  warm  spot  where  a  cow 
has  lain  1 

Of  course,  at  their  wedding,  David's  friends  had 
remembered  him  in  much  the  usual  manner;  and 
Miriam  also  had  received  a  number  of  gifts.  But 
all  these,  while  dearly  cherished  for  the  affection 
they  represented,  would  go  but  a  little  way  in  the 
furnishing  of  a  house.  David  had  just  opened  the 
two  boxes,  not  very  large  ones,  in  which  their 
presents  had  been  shipped  from  the  East. 

"My  dear,"  said  he,  arranging  four  similar 
packages  side  by  side  on  the  table,  "  not  every 
newly  married  couple  begins  housekeeping  so  well 
supplied  with  teaspoons." 

"  We  might  exchange  two  of  the  sets  for  some- 
thing else,"  said  Miriam,  examining  the  cards  at- 
tached to  each  of  the  packages.  "  But  whose  gift 
shall  they  be  ?  Belle's  or  Gertrude's  or  Blanche's 


122  THE  MINISTRY  OF 

or  Mary's  ?  I  cannot  bear  to  think  of  parting  with 
any  of  them." 

"  Nor  shall  you,  dearest,"  replied  David.  "  We'll 
keep  the  four  sets,  and  what's  more,  we'll  keep 
every  gift  we've  got."  David  was  arranging  an- 
other row  on  the  table.  Already  there  were  five 
similar  articles  side  by  side.  He  was  hunting  in 
the  box  for  the  sixth. 

Finding  it,  David  placed  the  article  by  the  side 
of  its  five  mates,  and  taking  a  step  backward, 
stood  viewing  the  array.  Though  they  were  of 
different  design,  and  varied  a  little  in  shape  and 
size,  these  six  gifts,  all  from  different  people,  be- 
longed unmistakably  to  the  same  genus,  that  of 
soup-ladles.  Six  silver  soup-ladles  ! 

"  No,"  said  he,  making  a  mock  heroic  gesture 
at  the  row,  "we'll  not  part  with  a  single  one  of  our 
presents." 

"  But,  David,  six  soup-ladles !  We  can  never 
make  use  of  that  many.  With  the  teaspoons  it 
is  different,"  protested  Miriam. 

"  Yet  I  cannot  think  of  bartering,  yes,  bartering 
is  the  right  word,  I  cannot  think  of  bartering  one 
of  our  gifts, — no,  not  if  there  were  twenty-six  soup- 
ladles  among  them.  Who  can  tell  the  serious  con- 
sequences that  would  probably  follow  in  the  train 
of  such  an  act?" 

"  Serious  consequences,  David  ?  "  asked  Miriam, 
not  wholly  penetrating  his  fun. 

David  was  scowling  terribly  in  his  effort  to  keep 
his  face  straight. 


DAVID  BALDWIN  123 

"Yes,  serious  consequences,"  he  repeated  sol- 
emnly. "For  if  a  man  will  barter  his  wedding 
presents,  gifts  about  which  cling  the  tenderest  of 
sentiments,  if  he  will  traffic  with  these  things,  what 
will  he  not  do  ?  Is  country  or  honor  or  truth  safe 
in  the  hands  of  such  a  man  ?  Would  he  not  also 
barter  these  if  a  suitable  opportunity  presented  it- 
self ?  Part  with  one  of  my  wedding  presents  ?  No ; 
not  if  they  were  all  soup-ladles  1 " 

Miriam  was  unwrapping  a  pickle-dish.  David 
looked  into  her  face,  but  it  was  as  non-committal 
as  his  own. 

"Why,"  he  continued,  "  I  can  see  Henly racking 
his  brain  and  spending  sleepless  nights  in  his  effort 
to  decide  what  present  he  should  send  us.  I  can 
see  him  going  from  store  to  store,  the  trial  of  men 
clerks,  the  despair  of  salesladies.  What  care,  what 
anxiety  rests  on  his  brow  !  At  last  one  day,  having 
exhausted  the  patience  of  the  head  clerk,  who  for 
an  hour  or  more  had  been  vainly  endeavoring  to 
suit  him,  Henly  is  handed  over  to  the  proprietor. 
This  superior  person  has  had  many  years  of  ex- 
perience with  such  cases.  In  two  minutes  he  has 
helped  Henly  to  a  decision.  In  five  minutes  more 
Henly  leaves  the  store  with  the  article  properly 
packed  for  shipping.  In  the  hands  of  the  pro- 
prietor, a  happy  thought  has  come  to  him.  He 
recalls  that  I  am  fond  of  soup.  *A  soup-ladle/ 
says  he  to  the  proprietor ;  *  how  would  that  do  for 
a  wedding  present  ?  '  *  Just  the  thing  ! '  replies 
that  august  person.  '  No  one  else  will  probably 


124  THE  MINISTRY  OF 

think  of  sending  your  friend  a  soup-ladle/  What 
a  burden  of  anxiety  and  indecision  rolls  from 
Henly's  shoulders  as  he  pays  for  his  purchase  ! 
His  stalwart  frame  stands  erect  once  more.  No, 
Miriam ;  I  cannot  bring  myself  to  barter  his  gift. 
It  would  be  worse  than  sacrilege ! " 

David  was  trying  to  look  dignified ;  but  as 
Miriam  caught  his  eye,  she  burst  into  laughter. 

"And  the  other  five?"  she  asked. 

"  Each  undoubtedly  represents  some  similar  ex- 
perience," replied  David.  "  They're  all  from  some 
of  the  boys,  all  except  one ;  and  you  can  have  no 
idea,  Miriam,  how  difficult  it  is  for  a  young  man  to 
select  a  wedding  present,  especially  if  he  hasn't 
much  money  to  invest  in  one." 

"  More  difficult  than  for  a  woman,  do  you 
think?" 

"  Oh,  Fm  sure  of  it,"  said  he,  placing  a  tooth- 
pick holder  which  he  had  just  unpacked,  on  the 
table.  He  stood  a  moment  looking  again  at  the 
row  of  soup-ladles.  "  I'll  tell  you,  Miriam,  what 
we  can  do  with  these,"  said  he. 

"Well?" 

"Why,  when  some  of  our  friends  are  to  be 
married,  we  can  just  pass  them  on.  Five  wed- 
dings !  A  soup-ladle  for  each.  Think  of  it  l 
From  what  perplexity  of  making  selections  these 
five  extra  soup-ladles  will  save  us  1 " 

As  the  unpacking  continued,  more  articles  of 
fancy  silverware,  dainty  cups  and  saucers,  some 
exquisite  pieces  of  hand-painted  china,  and  several 


DAVID  BALDWIN  125 

nondescript  articles  of  fancy  needlework  were  ar- 
ranged on  the  table ;  while  on  the  floor  near  the 
wall,  David  stood  up  the  half-dozen  pictures.  In 
the  bottom  of  the  last  box  were  several  books — 
some  well-bound  copies  of  the  poets,  a  set  of 
George  Eliot,  and  a  well-worn  volume  of  Spur- 
geon's  sermons,  this  last  from  an  estimable  lady 
who  had  been  David's  first  Sunday-school  teacher. 

So  much  for  a  beginning.  The  unpacking  of 
the  presents  had  taken  place  in  the  kitchen  of  the 
new  home,  and  they  were  piled  up  on  the  table 
belonging  to  that  room.  The  house  had  been 
thoroughly  cleaned,  and  as  Miriam  was  putting 
some  of  the  things  away  in  the  cupboards,  David 
carried  the  empty  boxes  to  the  basement 

"  Now  Miriam,"  said  he,  "  we'll  take  that  inven- 
tory of  what  we  haven't  got." 

David  produced  a  little  memoranda  book  from 
his  vest  pocket,  and  on  the  top  of  the  first  blank 
page  he  wrote  the  word  "  Kitchen." 

"  I  think,  dear,  you'd  better  allow  two  pages  for 
the  kitchen,"  said  Miriam,  as  he  was  about  to 
write  the  word  "  Dining-room  "  on  the  next  leaf. 
"  The  list  for  the  kitchen  will  include  so  many  lit* 
tie,  inexpensive  articles,  you  know." 

"  And  how  much  for  the  other  rooms  ?  " 

"  One  page  will  be  sufficient." 

On  the  tops  of  other  leaves,  David  wrote  re- 
spectively such  words  as  "  Sitting  Room,"  "  Bed 
Rooms,"  "  Study,"  "  Hall,"  "  Guest  Chamber," 
"  Parlor." 


126  THE  MINISTRY  OF 

"  But  I  doubt,  Miriam,  whether  we'll  ever  get  to 
the  parlor  if  we  keep  within  our  limit,"  said  David 
as  he  penciled  the  word. 

"Then,  dear,  we  can  let  the  furnishing  of  the 
parlor  go,"  she  answered,  bravely. 

"  But,  Miriam,"  persisted  David,  "  how  will  it 
look  for  us  to  have  no  parlor?  All  the  ladies  of 
the  church  will  call  on  us,  and  we  should  have  a 
suitable  place  in  which  to  receive  them." 

"  I  have  thought  of  that,  David,"  she  replied  ; 
"and  our  sitting-room  will  do  very  nicely  for  a 
while — at  least  until  we  can  furnish  a  parlor  with- 
out going  in  debt  for  it.  I  have  a  horror  of 
debt." 

"  Oh,  of  course  it  would  be  better  if  we  had  the 
money  to  pay  down  for  all  of  our  furniture ;  but 
Mr.  Cooper — I  saw  him  this  morning  about  it — 
very  kindly  offers  to  let  me  have  from  his  depart- 
ment store  whatever  we  may  need,  and  says  we 
can  pay  him  so  much  a  month.  I  like  this  plan 
much  better  than  borrowing  the  money  from  Mr. 
Driver." 

"  Yes  ;  so  do  I,  though  it  was  very  nice  of  Mr. 
Driver — his  offering  of  his  own  accord  to  let  you 
have  the  money  for  a  year  without  interest.  But, 
dear,"  continued  Miriam,  earnestly,  "  if  you  think 
best  to  get  our  furniture  of  Mr.  Cooper  and  to  pay 
him  as  he  suggests,  we  should  be  just  as  careful, 
shouldn't  we,  to  keep  within  our  limit  ?  " 

"  Oh,  yes ;  I  suppose  so,"  answered  David,  a  lit- 
tle reluctantly.  "  But  if  we  wanted  to,  we  could 


DAVID  BALDWIN  127 

now  go  fifty  or  a  hundred  dollars  over,  just  as  well 
as  not.  You  see,  Miriam,  we  are  sure  of  our 
salary  every  month.  I  would  not  think  of  incur- 
ring any  debt  for  furniture  if  my  salary  was  not 
absolutely  certain  and  large  enough  to  justify  my 
doing  so.  While  we  can't  get  everything,  of 
course ;  yet  on  a  thousand  dollars  a  year  we  can 
afford  to  furnish  our  home  reasonably  well,  I 
think." 

To  David,  who  had  never  before  received  a  defi- 
nite salary,  and  whose  expenses  hitherto  had 
never  exceeded  four  hundred  dollars  annually,  his 
present  salary  of  a  thousand  a  year  seemed  a 
resource  almost  inexhaustible.  He  knew  of  many 
ministers  who  were  living  on  much  less  than  that 
amount,  ministers  with  large  families,  too.  Surely 
it  was  not  necessary  for  him  to  economize  too 
severely.  This  he  had  had  to  do  all  his  life.  But 
now  it  was  different. 

Miriam  had  thus  far  succeeded  in  keeping  the 
proposed  limit  of  their  furnishings  down  to  two 
hundred  and  fifty  dollars.  David  had  wanted  to 
make  it  at  least  three  hundred ;  Miriam  thought 
two  hundred  ought  to  be  enough.  They  had 
compromised  on  two  hundred  and  fifty ;  but  David 
was  being  held  to  this  figure  rather  unwillingly, 
now  that  he  had  found  it  possible  to  get  whatever 
he  wanted  at  Cooper's,  on  the  instalment  plan. 

They  spent  the  whole  afternoon  making  entries 
on  the  various  pages  of  David's  note-book.  Of 
all  the  problems  in  higher  mathematics  none  had. 


128  THE  MINISTRY  OF 

ever  been  so  difficult  as  the  one  now  before  them  ! 
Time  after  time  these  lists  were  revised,  something 
left  out  of  this  room  in  order  to  put  some  other 
more  needed  article  into  that  one.  The  "  limit " 
was  severely  tested  without  making  a  single  entry 
on  the  parlor-page.  David  reluctantly  yielded  to 
Miriam's  judgment  and  no  provision  was  made 
for  the  furnishing  of  the  parlor. 

In  making  out  the  list  for  David's  study,  Miriam 
had  insisted  on  his  selecting  a  much  more  expen- 
sive chair  than  he  had  intended  to  get ;  but  he 
would  not  consent  to  it.  He  declared  that  he 
just  would  have  his  way  about  the  chair  in  which 
he  was  to  sit.  If  she  was  bound  to  let  the  parlor 
go  unfurnished,  he  would  buy  the  cheapest  chair 
he  could  get  for  his  study. 

But  at  last  the  furniture  was  ordered  and  the 
new  home  began  to  take  on  a  definite  character, 
the  two  young  people  attending  to  all  the  work  of 
getting  the  rooms  in  order. 

"  Why,  David  !  This  will  never  do  !  "  exclaimed 
Miriam,  coming  into  the  sitting-room  where  her 
husband  had  just  finished  hanging  some  pictures. 

"  Never  do  ?  Why,  dear,  what's  the  matter  ? 
Aren't  they  hung  straight?"  asked  David  who 
was  beginning  to  mistrust  his  own  ability  of 
arranging  anything  in  a  room,  for  Miriam  always 
had  to  give  a  few  womanly  touches  to  whatever 
he  did  before  it  looked  just  right.  Before  Miriam 
had  come  into  the  room  he  was  certain  the  pic- 
tures were  all  right. 


DAVID  BALDWIN  129 

"  Now,  Miriam,"  said  he,  surveying  his  work 
from  the  middle  of  the  floor,  "  these  pictures  are 
hung  as  straight  as  any  one  could  hang  them ; 
except  perhaps  that  one  in  the  corner  by  the  win- 
dow— that  does  seem  to  be  just  a  little  too  much 
to  the  right/'  said  he,  adjusting  the  wire  of  the 
picture  in  question. 

"  But,  you  dear  old  lover  boy  !  "  cried  Miriam, 
"  can't  you  see  that  they  must  every  one  of  them 
come  down  ?  " 

"  Come  down  ?  "  echoed  David,  nonplussed. 

"  Yes,  every  one  of  them  must  come  down. 
That  dark  one  has  too  little  light  on  it ;  those  two 
yonder  do  not  harmonize  well ;  and  this  'one  is 
altogether  too  high." 

As  Miriam  pointed  out  these  defects,  David 
instantly  recognized  the  justice  of  her  criticism  in 
each  case.  Mounting  the  step-ladder,  David  soon 
had  the  pictures  all  rearranged  according  to 
Miriam's  suggestions. 

"There!  Doesn't  that  look  better?"  asked 
Miriam,  as  David  stood  by  her  side,  looking  at 
the  new  arrangement. 

"  No-o,"  answered  David,  shaking  his  head ; 
but  from  the  look  in  his  eyes  and  the  way  he  said 
it,  Miriam  knew  that  he  meant  just  the  opposite. 

"  You  old  dear,  your  eyes  betray  you  !  "  cried 
Miriam.  "  Of  course  you  think  it  is  better ! "  She 
stood  before  him  looking  up  into  his  face. 

"  My  eyes  betray  me,  do  they  ?  "  said  he.  "  Then1 
they  must  tell  you  lots  of  things ;  they  must  tell 


130  THE  MINISTRY  OF 

you  how  much  I  would  like  to  " — and  he  quickly 
enfolded  her  in  his  arms  and  printed  a  kiss  on  her 
cheek. 

"  Ah,  the  finishing  touch  !  "  cried  a  merry  voice 
from  the  hallway.  "  You  must  pardon  me,"  con- 
tinued Mrs.  Strong,  advancing  and  blushing  very 
prettily  at  the  confusion  of  the  married  lovers  be- 
fore her  ;  "  but  the  hall  door  stood  so  invitingly 
open  that  I  came  in  without  stopping  to  ring.  I'm 
curious  to  know,"  she  went  on  sweetly,  talking 
more  with  her  eyes  than  with  her  voice,  "  if  you 
finish  settling  each  room  in  that  way  ?  " 

"  Why,  no,  Mrs.  Strong ;  we  hadn't  thought  of 
it  before,"  answered  David,  rallying.  "  But  thank 
you  ever  so  much  for  the  suggestion.  Come  on, 
Miriam,  let's  go  back  and  put  the  '  finishing  touch ' 
on  the  rest  of  the  rooms." 

"  Be  still,  you  silly  boy  ! "  said  Miriam.  "  You 
must  be  good  or  you'll  have  to  stand  up  in  a 
corner." 

"With  my  face  to  the  wall?"  asked  David, 
plaintively,  trying  to  imitate  a  little  child. 

"  Yes ;  with  your  face  to  the  wall,"  said  she, 
laughing  at  him. 

"  Then  I'll  be  good,"  said  he  submissively.  But 
as  Miriam  turned  to  address  Mrs.  Strong,  David 
quickly  stole  a  kiss  from  her  other  cheek. 

"What  shall  I  do,  Mrs.  Strong,  with  such  a 
naughty  boy  ?  "  asked  Miriam.  "  But  come,"  she 
added,  "  let  us  show  you  the  rooms  we  have 
.already  settled." 


DAVID  BALDWIN  131 

Together  they  stepped  through  the  archway 
into  the  dining-room,  David  holding  aside  the 
portieres  as  the  ladies  preceded  him. 

"  What  a  cheery  dining-room  !  "  exclaimed  Mrs. 
Strong,  taking  in  at  a  glance  the  table  neatly  set 
for  two,  a  beautiful  table-fern  gracing  the  centre, 
and  the  simplicity  and  harmony  of  the  whole  ar- 
rangement of  the  room,  with  its  unmistakable  air 
of  refinement,  reflecting  the  character  of  the  one 
who  had  given  it  form.  "  What  a  fine  view  from 
this  window  looking  out  over  the  lake !  I've 
always  regretted  that  our  house  has  no  view  of  the 
lake,  at  least  none  to  speak  of  save  from  the  front 
veranda." 

"You  may  consider  that  circumstance,  Mrs. 
Strong,  a  part  of  your  good  fortune,"  said  David, 
approaching  the  ladies  as  they  were  looking  out 
of  the  window.  "  Do  you  know,"  said  he,  "  this 
view  of  the  lake  came  very  nearly  plunging  the 
members  of  this  household  into  an  interminable 
controversy  ?  " 

"  Indeed  ?  "  said  Mrs.  Strong,  looking  inquir- 
ingly from  one  to  the  other. 

"  Yes,"  said  David,  "  it  was  this  way :  Miriam 
wanted  the  table  turned  around  the  other  way," 
indicating  with  his  hand.  "  But  both  of  us  wanted 
to  sit  at  this  end " 

"  With  your  backs  to  the  window — how  gener- 
ous ! "  interrupted  Mrs.  Strong. 

"  Yes  ;  and  Miriam  wouldn't  give  in." 

"  And    neither  would   you,"   retorted   Miriam, 


132  THE  MINISTRY  OF 

good-naturedly.  "  Don't  you  think,  Mrs.  Strong, 
that  it's  a  man's  place  to  yield  in  such  things  to 
his  wife  ?  "  she  asked. 

Mrs.  Strong,  with  intuitive  diplomacy,  replied, 

"  Certainly,  he  should,  my  dear  ;  but  we  women 
would  think  less  of  a  man  who  always  did  it." 

"  There  !  there  1 "  they  exclaimed  in  the  same 
breath. 

"  You  should  have  yielded  to  me." 

"  But  you  would  think  less  of  me  if  I  had,"  he 
replied,  glad  to  keep  up  his  part  of  the  pleas- 
antry. 

"  So  you  compromised  by  turning  the  table 
about?  Well,  I  think  this  side  view  is  all  the 
better.  How  interesting  this  home-making  must 
be  to  you  two  people  !  It  almost  makes  me  want 
to  begin  all  over  again." 

In  each  room  Mrs.  Strong  saw  evidences  of 
economy  and  likewise  of  good  judgment  and  a 
refined  taste.  Her  praise  and  words  of  apprecia- 
tion were  unbounded. 

"  You  are  a  model  housekeeper,  I'm  sure,"  she 
said  to  Miriam,  whose  glowing  cheeks  took  on  a 
very  pleased  expression  at  this  honest  praise. 
"  Do  you  like  housework  ?  "  she  asked.  "  I  am 
sure  you  do." 

"  Yes,"  answered  Miriam  ;  "  I  am  very  fond  of 
it." 

"  I  wish  I  were  ;  but  I  am  not." 

"  Indeed  ?  " 

"  No  ;  I  cannot  bear  it.     I  should  have  been  a 


DAVID  BALDWIN  133 

man.  I  think  I  should  have  liked  to  be  a  min- 
ister," glancing  at  her  pastor. 

They  were  entering  David's  study. 

"  And  here  is  where  you  will  write  your  ser- 
mons— our  sermons,  I  should  have  said.  What  a 
privilege  it  must  be  to  give  one's  life  to  the  study 
of  religious  subjects,  Mr.  Baldwin." 

"It  is  a  privilege,"  replied  David,  gravely ; 
"  but  one  from  which  many  men  honestly 
shrink." 

"  I  like  to  hear  you  say  that !  "  she  replied,  se- 
riously. "  Religious  knowledge,  I  suppose,  is 
sometimes  gained  at  great  cost." 

"  Yes,"  said  he,  wondering  at  her  insight 

"  But  it's  worth  having  at  any  cost — this  deeper 
knowledge  of  life,  and  of  its  meaning  and  its 
destiny  ?  " 

"  Yes,  it's  worth  having  at  any  cost,"  repeated 
David,  again  wondering  how  far  this  woman's  ex- 
perience had  led  her  into  an  appreciation  of  his 
own  position. 

"I  want  to  tell  you,"  continued  Mrs.  Strong, 
"  that  I  have  been  so  interested  in  your  sermons. 
I  suppose,"  said  she,  turning  to  Miriam,  "  I  sup- 
pose this  is  because  he  has  unfolded  many  of  my 
own  immature  thoughts." 

"  I  think  most  people  enjoy  sermons  in  which 
the  pastor  can  do  that.  I  know  I  always  do,"  an- 
swered Miriam. 

"  But  the  trouble  is,"  said  David,  "  nearly  every 
congregation  to-day  is  divided  into  two  classes, 


134  THE  MINISTRY  OF 

and  what  feeds  the  one  often  means  very  little  or 
nothing  to  the  other." 

"  I  know  that  is  so,"  replied  Mrs.  Strong. 
"  Now,  our  former  pastor  was  a  very  good  man 
— no  one  could  possibly  find  any  fault  with  his 
goodness  ;  but  somehow  a  great  many  of  his  ser- 
mons didn't  mean  anything  at  all  to  me.  And 
every  once  in  a  while  I  would  get  so  hungry  for  a 
sermon  that  did  feed  me,  that  I  just  had  to  go 
where  I  could  get  it — to  some  other  church." 

"I  shall  know  what's  the  matter,"  laughed 
David,  "  if  you  are  not  at  church  some  Sunday 
morning.  But  seriously,  Mrs.  Strong,  I  quite 
agree  with  you  ;  I  have  done  the  same  thing  my- 
self." 

"  Oh,  I  think  it  will  not  be  necessary  for  me  to 
run  away  any  more — not  so  long  as  you  preach 
the  kind  of  sermons  we've  been  having,"  answered 
Mrs.  Strong. 

"  That's  very  kind  of  you  to  say  so,  Mrs.  Strong," 
said  David. 

"  So  many  questions  come  up  in  my  mind  some- 
times when  I  am  thinking  on  religious  subjects. 
During  the  last  year  or  two  I  have  often  wished 
for  a  pastor  or  some  one  in  sympathy  with  modern 
thought  with  whom  I  could  talk  over  my  perplexi- 
ties. Many  of  the  older  conceptions  and  state- 
ments mean  absolutely  nothing  to  me  now.  I  am 
not  at  all  settled  as  to  just  what  I  do  believe. 
Would  you  mind,"  Mrs.  Strong  asked,  looking 
up  at  David,  "  would  you  mind  my  running  in  to 


DAVID  BALDWIN  135 

ask  you  some  questions  once  in  a  while  ?  It  would 
be  such  a  relief ! " 

"  No,  indeed,"  replied  David,  eager  to  be  of  as- 
sistance to  any  one  in  that  trying  period  of  transi- 
tion in  religious  opinions.  "  I  shall  be  only  too 
glad,  Mrs.  Strong,  to  give  you  what  little  light  I 
may  have  on  any  question  that  at  times  perplexes 
you." 

"Yes,"  added  Miriam,  seconding  her  husband's 
invitation,  "  why  shouldn't  we  feel  as  free  to  con- 
sult our  pastor  as  our  physician — that  is,  if  the 
pastor  is  one  whom  we  care  to  consult  ?  Unfor- 
tunately, I  never  had  such  a  pastor." 

"  Until  now  ! "  laughed  David. 

"  Oh,  I  used  to  get  all  wrought  up  over  some 
of  these  religious  subjects,"  continued  Miriam. 
"  I  used  to  think  I  was  very  wicked  because  I 
couldn't  believe  everything  just  as  our  minister 
presented  it." 

"  But  now  ?  "  asked  Mrs.  Strong. 

"  Oh,  I  think  I  agree  thoroughly  with  the  preach- 
ing I've  heard  since  coming  to  Tioga.  You  know, 
I  never  heard  Mr.  Baldwin  preach  before  we  were 
married." 

As  Mrs.  Strong  was  leaving,  Miriam  and  David 
again  urged  her  to  drop  in  on  them  whenever  she 
wished  to  do  so. 

"  Mr.  Baldwin  will  be  glad  to  have  you  interrupt 
him  whenever  he  can  serve  you.  We  have  both 
passed  through  some  trying  experiences  in  ad- 
justing our  religious  beliefs  to  modern  conditions, 


136  DAVID  BALDWIN 

and  I  feel  that  he  will  be  able  to  say  just  the  right 
word  in  helping1  one  to  understand  the  newer 
thought.  He  has  been  of  such  help  to  me." 
Miriam  followed  her  friend  to  the  door. 

Among  other  things,  Mrs.  Strong  had  learned 
that  the  Baldwins  were  not  intending  to  furnish 
their  parlor,  and  that  they  were  planning  to  have 
their  first  meal  in  their  new  home  on  the  following 
evening. 


IX 

MRS.  STRONG,  on  her  way  home  from  the 
Baldwins',  stopped  to  see  Mrs.  Driver ; 
and  within  a  few  minutes  the  two  ladies 
were  in  the  midst  of  a  most  absorbing  conver- 
sation. Mr.  Driver,  on  entering  the  room  where 
the  ladies  were  chatting,  was  also  admitted  to  the 
council,  and  heartily  expressed  his  approval  of  the 
project  under  consideration,  which  was  that  the 
church  families  should  each  make  some  contribu- 
tion toward  stocking  the  pastor's  pantry  with  the 
usual  household  supplies. 

"The  church  insisted  on  his  marrying,"  said 
Mrs.  Strong,  explaining  their  purpose  to  Mr. 
Driver,  "  when  perhaps  he  was  scarcely  prepared 
financially  to  take  such  a  step." 

"  I  have  my  doubts  about  his  needing  very  much 
urging  to  get  married,"  said  Mr.  Driver,  drily. 
"  But  that's  neither  here  nor  there.  I  admire  that 
little  woman — his  wife.  She's  got  more  common 
sense  than  two  ordinary  women, — just  the  kind  of 
woman  for  a  minister's  wife." 

"  My  husband,  you  see,  is  quite  taken  with  our 
pastor's  wife,"  said  Mrs.  Driver,  highly  pleased 
that  it  was  so.  "  Mr.  Baldwin  is  certainly  to  be 
congratulated  on  his  choice.  Everybody  speaks 
in  the  highest  praise  of  Mrs.  Baldwin.  And  now 
about  these  little  remembrances  we  are  to  send 

137 


138  THE  MINISTRY  OF 

them :  we  should  avoid  too  many  duplications, 
should  we  not? " 

"  Yes,"  said  Mrs.  Strong,  "  we  must  try  to  send 
in  as  great  a  variety  as  possible ;  and  as  you  say, 
not  too  many  duplicates." 

"  And  these  orders  should  all  be  delivered  to- 
morrow afternoon  ?  " 

"  Yes." 

"Well,"  said  Mr.  Driver,  withdrawing  to  the 
library,  "  the  rest  of  the  family  can  send  whatever 
they  wish.  I  will  order  a  jar  of  butter.  That  little 
woman  shall  have  a  jar  of  the  best  butter  in  the 
market." 

"I'll  send  some  fruit,"  added  Mrs.  Driver, — 
"  some  apples,  they're  always  acceptable,  and  some 
grapes." 

Mrs.  Strong  made  a  note  of  these  articles.  "  And 
we  will  send  an  assortment  of  breakfast  foods," 
said  she,  after  a  moment's  reflection. 

By  the  aid  of  the  'phone  the  ladies  at  once 
reached  a  number  of  the  church  families,  and  Mrs. 
Strong's  list  grew  apace  ;  and  that  evening  at  the 
midweek  service  many  more  additions  were  made 
to  it,  while  word  was  sent  to  other  families  not 
present. 

Just  after  dinner  on  the  following  day,  David 
had  their  trunks  and  other  belongings  transferred 
from  their  boarding-house  to  their  new  home. 
That  morning  Miriam  had  left  a  modest  order  at 
one  of  the  grocery  stores,  with  the  request  that  it 
be  delivered  in  the  early  part  of  the  afternoon. 


DAVID  BALDWIN  139 

While  busily  engaged  in  unpacking  her  trunk  and 
getting  her  own  room  settled,  she  heard  a  knock- 
ing at  the  kitchen  door. 

"The  groceryman,"  said  she  to  herself.  "I'm 
glad  he  has  come  so  early."  She  paused  to  watch 
the  boy  as  he  began  to  unload  his  basket  on  her 
kitchen  table. 

"  But  this  is  not  my  order  1 "  she  exclaimed,  see- 
ing before  her  a  number  of  articles  she  had  no 
thought  of  buying.  "There's  a  mistake,  some- 
where. You  have  stopped  at  the  wrong  house." 

The  boy  consulted  the  duplicate  order.  "  This 
number  is  405  Monroe  Avenue,  ain't  it?"  he 
asked. 

"  Yes,"  replied  Miriam. 

"  Then  there  ain't  no  mistake,  ma'am,"  said  he. 
"  See,  that's  what  it  reads  on  the  order — 405  Mon- 
roe Avenue." 

"  But  I  haven't  ordered  these  things,"  persisted 
Miriam.  "  The  mistake  must  have  been  made  at 
the  store." 

"  I  can't  say  as  to  that,  ma'am,"  said  the 
boy. 

"  The  lady  who  gave  the  order  will  be  disap- 
pointed if  she  does  not  get  these  things  in  time," 
continued  Miriam.  "  So  you'd  better  find  out  at 
once  where  they  belong." 

"Very  well,  ma'am,"  said  he,  loading  up  his 
basket  again  with  a  package  of  coffee,  a  small 
bag  of  sugar,  a  can  of  cocoa,  some  celery,  a  small 
basket  of  peaches,  and  some  canned  stuff. 


140  THE  MINISTRY  OF 

Miriam  returned  to  her  work.  She  was  begin' 
ning  to  get  just  the  least  impatient  with  her  gro- 
cer, when  another  delivery  wagon  stopped  in  front 
of  the  house.  The  boy  brought  in  two  baskets. 
As  he  began  to  pile  the  contents  of  the  first  on  the 
table,  Miriam  recognized  the  articles  she  had  or- 
dered. But  the  boy  unloaded  the  other  basket 
also. 

"  No,  no,"  said  she.  "  These  things  do  not  be- 
long here,"  indicating  the  contents  of  the  second 
basket. 

"But  the  order  has  the  same  name  and  ad- 
dress," said  the  boy. 

"  What  can  this  mean  ?  "  she  remonstrated,  ex- 
amining the  piece  of  paper  which  he  held  before 
her. 

"  Perhaps  the  mister  gave  the  order,"  suggested 
the  boy. 

"  I — but  my  husband  knows  that  we  never  use 
tea,"  said  she,  inspecting  the  packages  in  ques- 
tion. 

"  Mebbe  he  wanted  some  on  hand  for  company." 

"  And  that  white  flour — he  knows  we  are  to  use 
only  the  whole  wheat.  I — and  three  kinds  of  fresh 
fruit  at  once !  Such  extravagance  1  No,"  said 
Miriam,  turning  to  the  boy,  "I  am  positive  that 
Mr.  Baldwin  never  gave  this  order." 

"  Well,  mistakes  do  sometimes  occur,"  said  the 
boy,  philosophically.  "  But  I'll  just  leave  these 
things  here  and  pick  them  up  on  my  way  back. 
Sorry,  ma'am,  to  cause  you  any  trouble.  But  this 


DAVID  BALDWIN 

don't  occur  very  often.  The  boss  is  very  partic- 
ular, and  he'll  make  it  hot  for  somebody,"  said  the 
boy  as  he  disappeared. 

Miriam  returned  again  to  her  work.  David  was 
spending  the  afternoon  in  the  city  library  and 
would  not  be  back  till  about  five-thirty.  In  less 
than  a  quarter  of  an  hour  there  was  another  rap- 
ping at  the  kitchen  door.  Hastening  to  see  what 
was  wanted,  Miriam  was  astonished  to  find  another 
deliveryman  awaiting  her.  He  asked  her  where 
she  wanted  this  bag  of  potatoes  put  ?  And  with- 
out waiting  for  her  to  reply,  the  boy  ran  back  to 
his  wagon  and  got  a  large  basket  piled  full  of 
various  articles,  which  he  began  to  unload  on  the 
kitchen  floor.  Miriam  stood  speechless ;  but  the 
boy  was  too  busy  to  notice  her  very  much.  He 
was  late  and  must  make  up  for  lost  time. 

While  he  was  thus  engaged,  another  delivery 
boy  entered  unannounced  and  began  to  unload  his 
basket.  Packages  of  oat  flakes,  shredded  wheat, 
and  other  breakfast  foods,  wafers,  cakes,  canned 
corn,  canned  tomatoes,  canned  peas,  canned 
salmon,  canned  beef,  canned  soups,  a  sack  of 
sugar,  some  tea,  some  coffee,  and  a  number  of 
other  packages  whose  label  or  aroma  did  not  re- 
veal their  contents,  were  piled  up  on  the  kitchen 
floor.  At  this  juncture  a  third  boy  appeared  with 
a  bushel  of  apples.  Putting  the  bag  down  on  the 
floor,  he  hastily  withdrew  and  in  a  moment  re- 
turned with  his  basket,  which  was  also  heaped  up 
with  small  packages.  The  other  boys  watched 


U2  THE  MINISTRY  OF 

him  as  he  added  its  contents  to  the  pile  already  on 
the  floor. 

"  But  who  sent  you  with  all  of  these  things?"  cried 
Miriam,  utterly  forgetful  that  she  was  the  wife  of  a 
minister.  "  It  cannot  be  that  my  husband  has  done 
this  ! " 

The  boys  laughed,  knowingly,  and  winked  at 
one  another.  "  Shouldn't  wonder,  ma'am,  if  the 
church  people  had  something  to  do  with  it," 
ventured  one  of  them,  as  the  three  left  the  room. 

"Jiminy  cracks!"  cried  another,  slapping  his 
knee,  as  they  turned  the  corner  away  from  the 
kitchen  door,  "  but  wasn't  she  s' prised  ! " 

"  Jest  mighty  nigh  took  away  her  breath  !  " 

"  She  couldn't  speak  for  a  minute  !  My  !  But 
it  was  rich!" 

"  If  only  the  preacher  hisself  had  been  there  1 
What'll  he  say,  when  he  sees  all  them  s'pplies?  " 

"  If  his  wife  only  don't  tell  him,  he'll  be  mad,  as 
mad  as  a  wet  hen,  I'll  bet." 

"  Why,  Bill  ?  " 

"  Why  ?  That's  plain  'nough.  He'll  think  he's 
got  the  most  extrav'gant  woman  in  the  state  !  " 

The  boys  were  climbing  into  their  wagons. 

"  Say,  Bill  ? "  called  one  in  an  undertone. 
"  Wouldn't  you  like  to  be  a  preacher  ?  Think  of 
gettin'  all  that  stuff  without  having  to  pay  for  it !  " 

"  But  being  a  minister  ain't  such  a  snap  after  all. 
They  have  to  send  all  their  money  to  the  heathen," 
was  the  reply. 

"  Then  that's  why  the  church  folks  has  to  give 


DAVID  BALDWIN  143 

'em  things — hadn't  thought  of  that,"  said  the  other, 
as  the  wagon  started  down  the  avenue. 

Three  or  four  more  delivery  wagons  stopped 
before  David  returned  from  the  library.  Miriam 
let  everything  remain  spread  out  on  the  kitchen 
floor,  as  the  boys  had  left  it ;  and  when  David  re- 
turned, she  met  him  in  the  hall,  saying  that  her 
order  had  been  delivered  and  for  him  to  look  at 
the  things  and  see  if  they  were  all  right. 

"  The  packages  are  in  the  kitchen,  dear.  You 
can  step  in  and  look  at  them.  I'll  be  witl^you  in 
a  moment,"  said  she,  going  into  the  sitting-room 
on  some  pretense. 

"  Why  of  course  they  are  all  right,  dearest. 
Anything  that  you've  ordered  is  all  right.  I  hope 

you  didn't  stint "  but  the  sentence  was  never 

finished.  "  Shades  of  the  patriarchs  ! "  he  ex- 
claimed, as  his  eyes  rested  on  the  array  of  pack- 
ages piled  up  miscellaneously  on  the  kitchen  floor. 
"Whatever  possessed  her  to  order  all  this!"  he 
added  beneath  his  breath.  He  remembered  that  she 
had  asked  him  to  accompany  her  to  a  grocery  and  to 
help  in  selecting  the  supplies  ;  he  remembered  also 
that  he  had  begged  off,  telling  her  that  she  knew 
best  what  they  needed,  and  for  her  to  order  what- 
ever she  wished. 

His  heart  sank  within  him.  This  was  her  first 
purchase  alone  since  their  marriage.  He'd  had 
such  perfect  confidence  in  her  judgment.  But 
now  !  He  groaned  as  he  thought  of  it — such  ex- 
travagance !  He  could  not  understand  it.  It  was 


THE  MINISTRY  OF 

so  unlike  Miriam  to  order  all  of  these  things.  His 
face  was  a  study  as  he  stood  thus,  the  object  of 
conflicting  emotions.  Perhaps  he'd  have  to  look 
after  ordering  the  supplies  himself  in  the  future. 
It  would  doubtless  pain  Miriam  if  he  expressed 
dissatisfaction  with  what  she  had  done.  He  would 
not  say  anything  about  the  matter  now.  It  might 
be  after  all  that  he  did  not  understand  how 
many  things  were  needful  at  the  beginning  of 
housekeeping.  But — and  his  eye  ran  over  more 
than  a  dozen  packages  of  breakfast  food — he  was 
utterly  nonplussed.  Still  he  must  not  appear  to 
be  displeased. 

Miriam  entered  the  kitchen  and  stood  watching 
him. 

"  I  wish  you  had  gone  along,  David ;  when  one 
is  just  beginning,  ordering  supplies  is  no  small 
task,  as  you  can  well  imagine." 

"  Yes,  it  must  be  quite  a  task,"  said  he.  He 
did  not  say  that  in  his  own  mind  he  was  de- 
termined to  go  along  or  to  do  the  ordering  him- 
self hereafter.  "Are  you  sure,  dear,  that  you 
ordered  enough?"  he  asked.  He  would  say  al- 
most anything  rather  than  let  her  know  how  he 
felt.  But,  foolish  man  that  he  was  to  attempt  to 
deceive  his  wife,  Miriam  interpreted  his  tone  and 
expression  and  understood  them,  while  his  words 
said  quite  the  opposite. 

"  Oh,  we  can  easily  get  along  now,  dear,  for  a 
day  or  two,  don't  you  think  so  ?  Then  we  can 
order  the  rest.  But  I  fear,  David,  you  think  I  have 


DAVID  BALDWIN  145 

already  ordered  somewhat  extravagantly.  I  see  it 
in  your  face  !  " 

"  Really,  dearest,  I  don't  think  any  such  thing," 
persisted  the  poor  fellow,  striving  in  every  way  he 
knew  to  keep  from  hurting  his  wife's  feelings. 
"Why,"  said  he,  "if  I'd  been  with  you  we'd 
ordered  all  this  and  perhaps  more — not  one  pack- 
age less,  I  assure  you,  dearest."  David  was 
dangerously  near  the  dividing  line  between  truth 
and  falsehood.  Indeed  it  was  doubtful  on  which 
side  of  that  line  he  stood  at  that  moment.  But  the 
wistfulness  and  simulated  anxiety  on  Miriam's  face 
had  driven  him  to  it. 

"  After  these  things  were  delivered,"  said 
Miriam,  "  it  did  seem  as  if  we  could  have  started 
in  on  less.  I  was  so  afraid  you'd  think  I'd  been 
extravagant.  And  you  know,  dearest,  that  would 
break  my  heart." 

Drawing  her  head  to  his  shoulder  David  caressed 
her  rosy  cheek.  "  Extravagant !  "  he  exclaimed. 
"  What  put  such  an  idea  into  your  mind  ?  I  am 
sure  that  you  are  the  most  economical  little  woman 
in  all  this  world." 

"And  you'll  trust  me  just  the  same  to  do  the 
ordering  after  this?" 

"  Certainly,  sweetheart."  With  that  face  look- 
ing up  into  his  own,  it  was  impossible  for  him  to 
give  any  other  reply. 

"  For  I  couldn't  stand  it,  dearest,  to  have  you 
distrust  my  judgment  in  such  things,"  said  Miriam, 
disengaging  herself  from  his  arms.  "  Every  woman, 


146  THE  MINISTRY  OF 

you  know,  likes  to  feel  that  her  husband  has  full 
confidence  in  her  judgment." 

"  Why  certainly.  That's  no  more  than  natural 
and  right,"  he  assented. 

"  But,  David,  you  old  lover  boy  !  I'm  sure  you 
were  displeased  when  you  first  saw  all  these  things 
piled  up  on  the  table  and  on  the  floor.  Now,  con- 
fess !  Weren't  you  ?  " 

"  Well,  I,"  began  David  hesitatingly,  as  he 
sorted  out  the  various  kinds  of  breakfast  foods. 
"  At  first  I  did  think  the  pile  was  rather  large. 
But  of  course  no  up  to  date  family  could  begin 
housekeeping  on  less  than  eleven  different  kinds 
of  breakfast  foods.  But  what's  this — tea,  coffee, 
white  flour  ?  And  here  are  four  bottles  of  olives, 
three  baskets  of  assorted  fresh  fruits,  two  packages 
of  English  walnuts,  three  twenty-five  pound  sacks 
of  sugar,  five  packages  of  breakfast  cocoa  and 
four  packages  of  biscuit !  Sweetheart ! "  cried 
David.  "  I  am  positive  you  never  ordered  all 
these  things  ! " 

"  I'm  somewhat  in  doubt  about  it  myself,  come 
to  look  them  over,"  confessed  Miriam. 

"  Then  how  in  the  name  of  father  Abraham  did 
they  get  into  this  kitchen?" 

"  Here's  what  I  did  order,"  said  Miriam,  point- 
ing to  her  modest  quantity  set  on  one  side  of  the 
table.  "How  the  rest  came  here  I  am  not  alto- 
gether certain.  But  I  have  my  suspicions." 

"  The  church  people  ?  " 

"  Yes." 


DAVID  BALDWIN  H7 

"  How  kind  and  thoughtful  of  them  1 "  he  ex- 
claimed drawing  Miriam  again  to  him,  while  his 
brow  cleared  up  as  if  by  magic.  "  But  to  think, 
dearest,  for  a  quarter  of  a  minute  I " 

"  But,  dear,  you  had  the  best  of  reasons.  I 
know  it  was  almost  cruel  of  me  to  leave  you 
under  the  impression  that  I  had  ordered  all  of 
this.  You  endured  the  ordeal  nobly.  But  come 
now  to  your  reward."  She  led  the  way  to  the 
dining-room. 

It  was  their  first  meal  with  each  other  by  them- 
selves. Through  the  windows  the  mellow  light 
of  an  early  October  sunset  streamed  and  played 
about  Miriam's  head,  making  her  rich  auburn  hair, 
always  one  of  her  charms,  a  crown  of  silken  gold. 
In  the  boarding-house  they  had  been  accustomed 
to  sitting  side  by  side  ;  but  now  as  David  took  his 
seat  opposite  his  wife  it  seemed  to  him  that  no 
woman  had  ever  before  looked  half  so  beautiful. 
In  her  eyes  was  kindled  a  love-light,  imparting  a 
radiance  to  her  whole  face ;  in  her  hair  the  sun- 
beams were  all  entangled  so  that  he  could  not  tell 
which  was  sunbeam  and  which  was  hair,  the  blend- 
ing was  so  exquisite. 

Just  outside,  and  within  view,  though  not  ob- 
structing their  range  of  vision  to  the  lake,  stood 
two  or  three  oak  trees  arranged  in  holiday  attire 
as  if  in  honor  of  the  occasion  ;  and  in  the  branches 
of  one  of  them  sat  a  squirrel  eating  an  acorn  and 
chattering  to  his  mate  in  the  other  tree.  There 
was  a  little  breeze  passing  over  the  surface  of  the 


US  DAVID  BALDWIN 

lake,  roughening  the  water  just  enough  to  make 
it  reflect  the  sunlight  like  many  little  mirrors  set 
at  different  angles.  The  two  or  three  fleecy  clouds 
on  the  western  horizon  were  blushing  with  un- 
feigned coyness  as  the  sun  was  giving  them  his 
good-night  caress.  If  this  were  the  only  spot 
where  such  a  sunset  could  be  seen,  men  would 
cover  it  with  gold,  if  necessary,  in  order  to  call  it 
their  own.  To  David  and  Miriam  it  was  the  only 
spot.  The  glory  of  it  rilled  their  souls  as  for  a 
moment  they  sat  drinking  in  the  beauty  of  the 
scene.  Bowing  their  heads,  David  gave  thanks. 

"  How  good  it  seems  to  be  alone,  to  have  a 
dining-room  all  to  ourselves,"  observed  Miriam. 
"  I  am  sure  we  shall  be  very  happy,  dear,  in  our 
new  home-nest." 

"  Happy  ?  Why  I  never  enjoyed  a  meal  like 
this  before.  Such  a  feeling  of  satisfaction  to  sit 
down  to  a  table  where  one  is  confident  that  he  will 
not  be  confronted  with  a  dish  of " 

*'  David ! "  interrupted  Miriam,  shaking  her 
finger  at  him  playfully.  "You  were  about  to 
speak  a  word  which  must  never,  never  be  uttered 
in  this  dining-room." 


ONE  of  David's  newly  found  joys  after  his 
marriage  was  their  reading  of  some  book 
together,  or  rather  his  listening  to  Miriam 
while  she  read  to  him,  during  the  evenings  in 
which  there  were  no  demands  of  the  church  to 
disturb  them.  These  evenings  together  were  all 
too  few.  The  midweek  service,  the  committee 
meetings  and  other  evening  gatherings  of  the 
church  for  one  purpose  or  another,  together  with 
the  various  social  functions  to  which  they  were 
being  invited  outside  of  the  church,  left  sometimes 
only  two  evenings  a  week  to  be  spent  by  them- 
selves. David  was  heartily  interested  in  his  work, 
yet  it  must  be  confessed  he  was  more  in  love  with 
his  wife ;  and  to  watch  her  face  while  she  read  to 
him  from  some  interesting  book  was  to  feed  upon 
such  food  as  the  dwellers  on  high  Olympus  had 
never  tasted.  His  soul  thrilled  within  him  as  he 
would  sit  and  watch  Miriam  as  she  read.  She 
seemed  the  embodiment  of  purity,  innocence, 
goodness,  love ;  and  to  look  upon  these,  when 
one's  heart  is  open  to  their  message,  is  to  be  made 
a  better  man. 

David  had  seated  himself  in  his  easy  chair  some 
distance  from  the  reading  lamp  in  the  centre  of 
their  cozy  sitting-room,  and  was  waiting  Miriam's 
coming.  When  she  entered  the  room  a  moment 

149 


150  THE  MINISTRY  OF 

later,  it  was  with  some  unfinished  sewing  in  her 
hands.  David  looked  up  inquiringly. 

"  I  thought  perhaps  you  wouldn't  mind  reading 
this  evening,  dear ;  I  have  some  sewing  which  I 
feel  must  be  finished  this  week ;  and  this  evening 
is  the  only  time  I  can  give  to  it,"  said  Miriam, 
handing  David  the  copy  of  "Janice  Meredith" 
they  were  enjoying  together. 

"  But,  sweetheart,  can't  you  let  the  sewing  go  ? 
You  know  how  much  more  I  enjoy  it  when  you 
read.  Must  it  really  be  finished  to-night  ?  I  fear 
the  little  girl  is  getting  too  industrious." 

"  No  fear  of  that ! "  she  laughed.  "  But,  David, 
I  must  do  some  of  my  sewing  during  the  even- 
ings ;  for  I  do  not  feel  free  to  go  to  Mrs.  Strong's 
any  more." 

"  To  Mrs.  Strong's  ? "  inquired  David,  some- 
what mystified. 

"  Yes ;  you  see  I've  been  doing  the  most  of  my 
sewing  on  her  machine  and  to-day  while  I  was 
using  it,  it  broke." 

"Broke?" 

"It  was  an  old  machine  and  something  just 
gave  way.  Mrs.  Strong  was  very  nice  about  it, 
yet  I  feel  dreadfully  to  have  it  happen." 

"  Of  course  you  insisted  on  getting  it  fixed  ?  " 

"  Certainly ;  but  Mrs.  Strong  wouldn't  hear  to 
it.  She  said  it  would  have  happened  anyway." 

"  I  am  sorry,"  said  David,  as  he  drew  his  easy 
chair  nearer  the  reading  lamp.  "  I  am  sorry  that 
the  accident  happened.  I  hadn't  thought  of  it 


DAVID  BALDWIN  151 

before,  sweetheart,  but  we'll  have  to  get  a  sewing- 
machine,  won't  we?" 

"  As  soon  as  we  can  afford  it,  dear.  We  haven't 
the  money  saved  up  yet." 

David  opened  the  book  and  read  for  an  hour 
while  Miriam  diligently  pursued  her  sewing, 
stitch  by  stitch.  The  evening  finally  wore  away 
without  bringing  to  David  its  usual  enjoyment,  for 
the  few  glances  he  had  stolen  of  Miriam's  face  did 
not  thrill  him  ;  the  expression  was  not  of  the  same 
elusive  character  as  when  she  was  reading;  it 
was  when  some  incident  of  the  story  stirred  her 
emotions  that  her  face  carried  such  depth  of 
feeling,  such  richness  of  inner  life  as  one  seldom 
sees,  save  in  some  great  painting  of  some  great 
master.  But  as  she  bent  over  her  sewing,  her  ex- 
pression was  commonplace,  though  even  then  she 
was  good  to  look  upon. 

For  some  time  David  had  been  wondering  what 
he  should  get  Miriam  for  a  birthday  present. 
This  thought  was  in  his  mind  as  he  walked  down 
town  the  next  afternoon.  The  year  before  he  had 
given  her  a  copy  of  Whittier's  poems.  Though 
it  seemed  hardly  the  right  thing  to  present  his 
wife  with  another  book,  he  seemed  unable  to  de- 
cide on  anything  else.  The  matter  perplexed  him. 
In  this  state  of  mind  he  was  walking  to  the  ex- 
press office  to  send  off  a  package. 

Now  it  so  happened  that  the  store  next  to  the 
express  office  was  one  where  sewing-machines 
were  sold ;  and  as  David  was  passing  this,  he 


152  THE  MINISTRY  OF 

suddenly  stopped,  stood  a  moment,  then  entered 
the  store. 

"  Good-afternoon,"  said  the  proprietor,  advanc- 
ing to  meet  him. 

"  You  keep  sewing-machines  ?  " 

"Yes,  though  we  sell  more  than  we  keep," 
laughed  the  proprietor. 

"  That's  what  I  meant,  of  course/'  said  David, 
laughing.  The  two  men  seemed  to  understand 
each  other  at  once. 

After  a  few  minutes,  David  remarked,  "  Forty- 
five  dollars  ?  Isn't  that  rather  high  ?  " 

"  Not  for  that  machine,"  replied  the  proprietor, 
taking  his  bearings  skilfully.  "  But  of  course 
we  have  other  machines,  made  by  another  firm, 
practically  as  good  for  less  money." 

" How  much  less?" 

"Twenty  dollars  less,"  replied  the  proprietor. 
"  That  machine  there,"  indicating  with  his  hand, 
"  can  be  sold  by  us  for  twenty-five  dollars :  we 
warrant  it  in  every  respect.  We  have  forty-five 
dollar  machines  for  those  persons  who  think  an 
article  is  not  worth  having  unless  we  charge  them 
a  good  round  price.  But  the  twenty-five  dollar 
machine  is  as  well  made  and  will  give  equally 
good  service." 

David  stood  knitting  his  brow.  "You  said 
twenty-five  dollars  ?  " 

"  Yes,"  replied  the  dealer. 

David  wanted  to  buy  the  machine  but  he  didn't 
have  the  money  with  him  and  he  knew  he  would 


DAVID  BALDWIN  153 

not  have  it  until  the  beginning  of  the  next  month, 
nearly  three  weeks  off  ;  and  even  the  twenty-five 
dollars  would  make  a  big  hole  in  his  month's 
salary.  The  storekeeper  read  something  of  all 
this  in  his  customer's  face. 

"  That  machine  is  cheap  at  twenty-five  dollars, 
cash,"  said  he,  emphasizing  the  word  cash.  "  But 
whenever  it  is  desired,  we  sell  it  for  the  same 
price  on  what  is  called  the  monthly  payment  plan 
— five  dollars  down  and  five  a  month  till  paid  for. 
In  this  way,"  continued  the  dealer,  "  a  family  can 
have  the  use  of  the  machine  while  saving  up  the 
money  to  pay  for  it.  With  most  young  people 
just  beginning  to  keep  house  there  are  so  many 
things  to  buy  all  at  once  that  this  plan  of  paying 
so  much  a  month  is  frequently  adopted." 

"  You  said  five  dollars  down,  and  then  five  a 
month?" 

"  Yes." 

"  That  would  make  five  months  before  the  last 
payment,"  said  David  more  to  himself  than  to  the 
dealer. 

"  Yes,  and  your  wife  would  have  the  use  of  the 
machine  all  that  time." 

"  I — it  hadn't  occurred  to  me  to  buy  a  sewing- 
machine  till  last  evening,"  said  David,  laying  a 
bill  in  the  hand  of  the  dealer.  "  So  I'm  not  pre- 
pared to-day  to  pay  for  it  in  full.  You  send  up 
the  machine  this  afternoon,  and  I'll  drop  in  and 
see  you  on  the  first  of  each  month  till  the  account 
is  balanced.  Will  that  be  satisfactory  ?  " 


154  THE  MINISTRY  OF 

"  Perfectly,"  replied  the  dealer. 

That  evening  at  the  supper  table  Miriam  said, 
"  It  was  so  good  of  you,  dear,  to  get  it — especially 
when  you  need  so  many  books  for  your  study. 
But  I  don't  see  how  I  could  do  without  a  sewing- 
machine  much  longer — sewing  by  hand  is  so 
tedious." 

The  next  evening  they  had  together  David  en- 
joyed the  satisfaction  of  watching  Miriam's  face 
as  he  listened  to  her  well-modulated  voice,  while 
she  read  further  into  the  story  of  "  Janice  Mere- 
dith." 

The  week  had  not  passed  before  there  was  a 
change  in  the  weather.  The  delightful  days  of 
October  had  given  place  to  the  beginnings  of  No- 
vember, with  clouds  heavy  and  lowering,  jealous 
of  letting  too  much  sunshine  through. 

"  My  !  but  it's  cold  up  in  the  study,"  said  David 
rubbing  his  hands  over  the  kitchen  fire.  He  had 
come  down  early  to  dinner,  without  being  called, 
a  thing  very  unusual  for  him  who  prized  each  one 
of  the  morning  hours. 

"  Cold  ?  So  it  must  be,"  said  Miriam,  busy  put- 
ting the  finishing  touches  to  the  dinner.  "  I  fear, 
David,  this  roast  is  not  as  good  as  what  we've 
been  getting.  It's  so  tough  ! " 

"  Tough  ?  Why  I  told  the  man  two  weeks  ago 
if  he  sent  us  any  more  tough  pieces  we'd  deal  else- 
where." 

;<  I  know.  And,  dear,  the  meat  has  been  very 
good  since  then  till  to-day.  This  piece  is  simply 


DAVID  BALDWIN  155 

awful — as  tough  as  sole  leather.  I  know  we  won't 
be  able  to  eat  it." 

"  I'll  have  to  blow  him  up  again,"  said  David. 
"  Perhaps  he  needs  it  every  week  or  two." 

Though  the  dining-room  was  immediately  off 
from  the  kitchen  it  was  too  cool  even  there  for 
comfort. 

"  Hadn't  you  better  start  the  furnace  this  after- 
noon, dear  ?  This  sudden  change  in  the  weather 
may  continue  for  several  days,  and  it's  hardly  safe 
to  depend  longer  on  our  little  wood  stove  in  the 
sitting-room." 

"  That  reminds  me  !  I  haven't  ordered  any  fur- 
nace coal  yet.  I  must  do  so  at  once." 

As  Mr.  Brand  dealt  in  wood  and  coal,  David 
went  to  his  office  to  order  a  ton  of  furnace  coal 
sent  over  to  the  house  at  once. 

"You're  living  in  Professor  Wilson's  house? 
For  the  past  three  years  we've  furnished  Professor 
Wilson  with  coal,  and  it  takes  nine  tons  to  run  his 
furnace  through  an  ordinary  season.  One  year 
he  had  to  order  a  ton  extra.  But  that  was  a  very 
severe  winter,  two  years  ago.  It  will  save  you 
considerable  annoyance  to  say  nothing  about  the 
dirt  if  we  put  in  all  you  want  at  one  time." 

"I'm  sorry,  but "  began  David. 

"  And  so  far  as  paying  for  it  is  concerned,"  con- 
tinued the  clerk,  with  whom  he  was  talking,  "  you 
can  suit  your  own  convenience  about  that.  Many 
of  our  customers  pay  so  much  a  month — till  the 
whole  amount  is  balanced." 


156  THE  MINISTRY  OF 

"  Very  well,"  said  David.  "  If  you  prefer  to  do 
so,  put  in  the  nine  tons  to-morrow  and  I  will  drop 
in  and  see  you  once  a  month.  Here's  pay  for  one 
ton."  David  handed  the  clerk  a  five  dollar  bill  on 
top  of  which  were  three  silver  dollars. 

"  Costs  something  to  run  a  furnace  here  in  Min- 
nesota," he  observed  as  the  clerk  was  making  out 
his  receipt. 

"  Yes,  coal  is  rather  expensive,  though  the  deal- 
ers are  handling  it  at  a  pretty  close  margin.  It's 
the  railroads  that  make  the  money.  Freight  rates 
from  Chicago  here  are  very  high." 

"  Oh,  I  almost  forgot.  We  shall  need  some 
more  coal  for  the  kitchen  stove  before  long.  How 
much  will  I  need  for  the  season  ?  " 

"Perhaps  two  tons  more.  Shall  we  add  two 
tons  of  chestnut  coal  to  your  order  ?  " 

"Yes,"  said  David,  turning  to  go.  "Though 
we  do  not  need  it  just  yet,  it  might  as  well  be  put 
in  with  the  other.  By  the  way,  is  Mr.  Brand 
here?" 

"  Yes.     Do  you  wish  to  see  him  ?  " 

"  If  I  may." 

The  clerk  withdrew  through  a  door  marked 
"  private." 

"  Step  this  way,  Mr.  Baldwin,"  said  he,  reap- 
pearing after  a  moment. 

Mr.  Brand  met  his  young  pastor  very  cordially, 
pressing  him  to  sit  down  for  a  few  minutes'  chat. 
As  his  caller  rose  to  leave  a  few  minutes  later,  Mr 
Brand  said, — 


DAVID  BALDWIN  157 

"  My  wife  and  I  will  be  glad  to  have  you  and 
Mrs.  Baldwin  take  dinner  with  us  next  Monday 
evening." 

"  Thank  you.  I'm  sure  Mrs.  Baldwin  has  no 
engagement  for  Monday  evening,  and  we  shall  be 
glad  to  come." 

"  If  anything  should  come  up,  feel  perfectly  free 
to  let  us  know/'  said  Mr.  Brand,  following  David 
to  the  door.  "A  pastor's  time,  as  I  know  very 
well,  is  not  always  at  his  own  disposal." 

David,  on  leaving  Mr.  Brand's  office,  spent  the 
remainder  of  the  afternoon  making  calls,  the  first 
of  which  was  on  a  family  living  some  two  miles 
out  in  a  little  suburb  called  Glen  Park.  The  father 
and  mother  were  old  people,  too  old  to  get  out  to 
church,  both  bowed  down  with  the  effects  of  many 
years  of  hard  work.  The  other  member  of  the 
home  was  a  son,  himself  a  man  almost  past  mid- 
dle life,  an  invalid,  having  suffered  for  many  years 
from  articular  rheumatism.  As  David  sat  and 
talked  with  these  three  old  people,  for  the  son 
seemed  as  aged  as  either  of  his  parents,  it  was  easy 
to  speak  of  the  deepest  things  of  human  experience ; 
the  atmosphere  of  the  home  invited  it ;  and  as  the 
conversation  continued,  David  felt  that  he  was  in 
the  presence  of  those  who  could  teach  him  many 
things — the  unobtrusive  sanctity  of  that  home  was 
so  real  and  genuine,  the  hard  experiences  of  life 
had  developed  and  ripened  so  many  of  the  rarer 
qualities  of  spirit.  Religion  of  the  highest  type 
was  here  embodied,  for  they  had  learned  to  live 


158  THE  MINISTRY  OF 

their  lives  in  the  consciousness  of  the  divine  Pres- 
ence. Before  leaving,  David  knelt  with  the  family 
in  prayer — it  seemed  the  only  natural  way  of  clos- 
ing his  call. 

"  Pastor,  we've  enjoyed  your  call  so  much. 
Wife  and  I  can't  get  out  to  church  as  we  once 
could  ;  but  our  hearts  are  there." 

"  I  know  you  must  be  very  busy,"  said  the  wife. 
"  But  come  and  see  us  as  often  as  you  can.  Will- 
iam, poor  boy,  is  so  glad  whenever  any  one  calls." 

David's  heart  was  full  as  he  walked  out  to  the 
car ;  a  great  uplift  had  come  into  his  soul,  some- 
thing like  that  which  comes  when  one  has  been  lis- 
tening to  certain  kinds  of  music.  His  two  other 
calls  that  afternoon  were  quite  different ;  the  con- 
versation was  stilted,  without  purpose,  on  any 
casual  topic,  flitting  from  one  subject  to  another. 
Yet  as  the  young  pastor  walked  away  from  each  of 
these  it  seemed  to  him  that  he  had  done  the  best 
he  could.  But  how  poor  that  best  seemed  ! 

It  was  not  long  after  this  that  David  began  to 
feel  the  need  of  increasing  his  library. 

"  Yes,"  said  he  to  Miriam  at  supper,  "  I  must 
have  some  more  books.  Thus  far  I  have  been 
able  to  prepare  only  one  sermon  a  week." 

"  But  you  have  preached  twice  every  Sunday." 

"  In  the  evenings,"  he  continued  in  reply,  "  I 
have  used  sermons  which  I  had  on  hand — have 
worked  them  over  a  little  and  they  have  answered 
pretty  well.  I  have  only  a  very  few  more  in  re- 
serve— three  or  four  which  amount  to  anything. 


DAVID  BALDWIN  159 

When  these  are  gone  it  will  be  necessary  to  pre- 
pare two  new  ones  each  week,  and  I  don't  see  how 
I  can  do  it  without  increasing  my  working 
library." 

"  Of  course  you  must  get  more  books,  David." 

"  I  see  no  way  out  of  it,"  said  he  ;  "  though  I  dis- 
like to  go  in  debt  for  them." 

"  Wouldn't  the  Publication  Society  send  you 
what  you  find  are  really  necessary,  and  let  you  pay 
for  them  by  remitting  so  much  a  month  ?  This 
wouldn't  be  exactly  going  in  debt  for  them." 

"  Yes,  I  am  sure  they  would." 

"  And  you  could  be  having  the  use  of  the  books 
all  the  time  you  are  paying  for  them." 

That  evening  David  made  out  a  list  of  books  he 
felt  would  be  of  greatest  use  to  him.  More  than 
once  he  crossed  off  one  title  to  give  place  to  an- 
other which  he  felt  he  must  have.  The  Publica- 
tion Society  wrote  that  they  would  be  pleased  to 
forward  the  selection  and  let  him  pay  so  much  a 
month  as  he  suggested.  After  much  self-denial 
and  many  substitutions  David  succeeded  in  keeping 
his  list  down  to  forty  odd  dollars'  worth.  He  wrote 
the  society  that  he  would  meet  this  sum  by  send- 
ing five  dollars  on  the  first  of  each  month. 

"  Books  count  up  so,"  said  he  to  Miriam.  "  I 
had  to  leave  out  of  my  list  so  many  I  ought  to 
have :  but  I  set  the  limit  at  fifty  dollars." 

"  It  won't  be  long  before  you  can  send  in  an- 
other order,  dear.  You  can  add  the  others  then." 

On  the  first  of  December  the  church  treasurer 


160  THE  MINISTRY  OF 

handed  David  an  envelope  containing  his  salary 
for  the  month  just  expired. 

"  Suppose  I  give  this  to  you,  Miriam ;  what 
would  you  do  with  it  ?  "  asked  David,  tossing  the 
envelope  into  her  lap. 

"  What  would  I  do  with  it?  Why,  just  what  you 
are  going  to  do  with  it,  dear." 

"  But  how  do  you  know  what  I  am  going  to  do 
with  a  whole  month's  salary — eighty-three  dollars 
and  thirty-three  cents?  You  must  be  a  mind 
reader?" 

"  Perhaps  I  am,"  answered  Miriam.  "  Suppose 
you  write  on  this  piece  of  paper  what  I  dictate, 
and  then  you  can  tell  whether  I  am  or  not." 

"  Very  well,"  said  David.  "  Though  I'm  more 
than  half  inclined  to  believe  you  are  a  mind  reader 
without  the  formality  of  a  test." 

Miriam  shutting  her  eyes  dictated  a  few  lines 
which  read  as  follows  : 

Living  expenses  $20.00 

Rent  16.66 

Monthly  payment  on  furniture       -  20.00 

"             "           "  sewing-machine  5.00 

"  coal      -  8.00 

"             "           "  books            -  5.00 

"  "  "  encyclopaedia  — 

"  Encyclopaedia?  "  exclaimed  David,  astonished, 
"  I  haven't  ordered  any  encyclopaedia." 

"  But  you  know  you  wanted  one  so  badly.  I 
couldn't  bear  to  think  of  you  not  having  it." 


DAVID  BALDWIN  161 

"  And  you've  ordered  it  ?  " 

"  Yes,  David,  dearest,  I  ordered  it.  I  knew  you 
needed  an  encyclopaedia  worse  than  I  needed  my 
sewing-machine.  And  I  couldn't  bear  to  use  the 
machine  so  long  as  you  were  without  necessary 
books,  for  your  work." 

"  But,  Miriam,  I ' 

"  I  wanted  to  get  it  as  a  Christmas  present  for 
you.  You  remember  you  told  me  you  were  going 
to  get  it  as  soon  as  we  could  afford  it.  Just  after 
you  sent  off  that  order  to  the  Publication  Society 
bookstore,  an  agent  called.  You  were  out.  So, 
dear,  I  ordered  it  as  your  Christmas  present, 
though  it  will  be  shipped  before  that  time." 

"  Perhaps  it  will  be  better  if  you  leave  such  things 
to  me  after  this."  David  was  displeased  and 
couldn't  help  showing  it.  "  Of  course,  I  suppose  I 
did  say  something  about  intending  to  get  the  en- 
cyclopaedia some  time.  But  I  can  get  along  very 
well  without  it — there  are  any  number  of  books  I 
need  worse  just  now  ;  and,  besides, — oh, well,  I  sup- 
pose there's  no  use  saying  any  more  about  it." 

Miriam  sat  speechless.  David,  picking  up  a 
newspaper,  buried  himself  behind  its  open  double- 
page.  Neither  spoke.  Miriam's  under  lip  began 
to  quiver ;  she  opened  her  mouth  as  if  to  speak, 
yet  did  not  speak,  as  if  afraid  to  trust  her  voice. 
With  set  face  David  sat  reading  the  newspaper — 
it  mattered  not  that  it  was  day  before  yesterday's 
paper.  It  absorbed  him.  He  did  not  see  his  wife 
get  up,  hesitate  an  instant  as  if  wavering  between 


162  THE  MINISTRY  OF 

a  desire  to  be  alone,  and  a  longing  to  throw  her 
arms  about  her  husband's  neck  ;  he  did  not  look 
up  till  she  was  nearly  through  the  door,  but  it  was 
soon  enough  to  catch  a  side  view  of  her  face. 
The  tears  were  streaming  down  her  cheeks. 

Though  the  sight  of  Miriam's  tears  scalded 
David  to  the  heart,  he  did  not  speak ;  and  Miriam 
passed  on  to  her  room.  Left  alone  David  began 
pacing  the  room,  his  mind  confused,  perplexed; 
yet  he  was  sure  he  had  not  done  anything  uncalled 
for.  What  had  happened,  anyway  ?  Could  it  be 
that  he  was  to  blame  ?  He  did  not  think  so,  yet  a 
suspicion  haunted  him.  He  had  not  meant  to 
speak  unkindly.  He  tried  to  recall  what  he  had 
said.  What  was  it  that  had  hurt  her  so? 

One  of  the  most  delicate  problems  of  life  had 
arisen  in  this  newly  established  home — the  problem 
of  mutual  adjustment  between  husband  and  wife. 
Their  love  for  each  other  was  beyond  question,  yet 
almost  without  an  instant's  warning  this  storm  had 
arisen,  a  thunder-bolt  from  a  clear  sky ;  so  deli- 
cately poised  are  the  affections  between  man  and 
woman,  so  easily  disturbed  by  look  or  word,  so 
uncertain  are  the  moods  and  caprices  of  our  human 
nature !  The  art  of  living  is  sometimes  called  the 
finest  of  the  arts.  But  is  not  the  finest  of  the  arts 
that  of  living  together  ? 

David  was  beginning  to  feel  thoroughly  un- 
comfortable, pacing  up  and  down  that  little  sitting- 
room.  The  ice  in  his  heart  had  all  melted,  leav- 
ing opportunity  for  the  warmth  of  his  true  affec- 


DAVID  BALDWIN  163 

tions  to  do  its  work.  A  few  more  turns  about  the 
room,  a  few  more  futile  attempts  to  keep  down 
the  rising  pressure,  and  David  was  back  to  his 
better  self.  '  He  went  to  Miriam's  room  where  he 
found  her  lying  on  her  bed,  sobbing  as  if  her  heart 
would  break. 

Kneeling  by  her  side  he  put  his  arms  about  her 
neck  and  drew  her  head  to  his  shoulder. 

"  Will  you  forgive  me,  Miriam,  dearest  ?  I  am 
sorry  that  I  spoke  to  you  as  I  did.  I  do  not  know 
why  such  harsh  words " 

"  Don't  say  that,  David !  I  was  to  blame.  I 
should  have  told  you.  It  was  wrong  of  me  to 
give  the  order  without  consulting  you;  it  was 
wrong  to  spend  so  much  money.  But  the  agent 
said  we  could  pay  for  the  set  by  sending  him  five 
dollars  a  month ;  and,  dear,  I  did  so  want  you  to 
have  the  books.  But  perhaps  he'll  take  them 
back  if  I " 

"  Indeed,  sweetheart,  we'll  not  think  of  such  a 
thing !  I  wouldn't  have  you  cancel  the  order  for 
anything.  The  encyclopaedia  is  just  what  I  want." 

"  But  the  other  books — the  ones  you  need 
more " 

"Miriam,  dearest,  there  are  no  books  I  need 
more.  Forgive  me  for  saying  the  cruel  word. 
Let's  rub  it  out.  I  didn't  mean  it,  though  I  thought 
I  did  at  the  time." 

"  Are  you  very  sure,  David  ?  " 

"  Very  sure,  sweetheart — absolutely  certain." 

Miriam's  tears  had  ceased  flowing,  but  her  sobs 


164:  THE  MINISTRY  OF 

kept  surging  up  one  after  another  in  spite  of  her 
efforts  to  keep  them  down.  David  kissed  her  as- 
suringly  on  the  cheek. 

"  The  '  old  man '  gets  the  better  of  me  once  in  a 
while,  sweetheart.  But  come,  let  us  get  back 
where  we  left  off." 

With  his  arm  about  her  they  returned  to  the 
sitting-room. 

"  You  were  giving  me  a  sample  of  your  power 
at  mind  reading,  sweetheart,  when  that — that — 
storm  came  up." 

"Yes.  The  last  item  was  the  monthly  payment 
on  the  encyclopaedia." 

"Which  makes,"  said  David,  casting  his  eye 
over  the  column  of  figures,  "  seventy-nine  dollars 
and  sixty-six  cents.  I  must  confess,  sweetheart, 
that  so  far  your  mind  reading  ability  is  beyond 
question.  Can  you  give  me  still  further  proofs 
of  it?" 

"  Yes.  Next  month  and  the  month  after  and 
the  one  after  that  you  will  spend  this  much  money 
in  exactly  the  same  way." 

"  Correct  again,"  laughed  David.  "  You  are 
accurate  enough  to  be  a  professional.  But  what 
am  I  going  to  do  with  all  the  rest  of  each  month's 
salary — the  three  dollars  and  sixty-seven  cents 
which  we  may,  so  to  speak,  call  our  own  ?  " 

"  For  one  thing,  David,  you  must  get  yourself  a 
pair  of  shoes.  You  are  needing  them  badly. 
That  will  take " 

"  Three  dollars  and  fifty  cents,"  admitted  David 


DAVID  BALDWIN  165 

as  he  glanced  down  at  the  crack  in  the  side  of  the 
shoe  on  his  left  foot.  "  My  right  shoe  seems  very 
good  yet:  I  don't  need  to  buy  two  shoes — one 
will  do,"  he  laughed.  "  I'll  buy  a  left  one  this 
month  and  perhaps  we  will  be  able  to  get  the 
right  one  next  month.  Seems  to  me  you  must  be 
needing  something  by  this  time  also,  sweetheart  ?" 
"  No,"  she  hastened  to  answer,  drawing  her  feet 
under  her  dress  as  she  did  so,  "  my  best  shoes  are 
almost  as  good  as  new." 


XI 

ABOUT  eight  o'clock  one  Saturday  evening 
the  door-bell  rang  furiously  and  long,  and, 
before  Miriam  could  answer,  the  ring  was 
followed  by  a  vigorous  knocking,  the  one  desiring 
admittance  not  having  heard  the  bell  ringing  far 
away  in  the  kitchen. 

"  Is  he  in — the  parson  ?  I  was  told  he  lived 
here." 

"  Yes,  Mr.  Baldwin  is  in,"  replied  Miriam.  "  You 
wish  to  see  him  ?  Will  you  please  step  into  the 
sitting-room  ?  I  will  call  him." 

"  In  jest  a  minit,"  said  the  young  man  turning 
to  a  horse  and  cutter  which  Miriam  now  observed 
in  front  of  the  house.  She  heard  him  say  : 

"  This  is  the  place,  Mandy,  and  the  parson's  in." 

The  young  man  tied  and  blanketed  his  horse, 
and  helped  a  young  woman  out  of  the  cutter.  She 
said  something  to  him  in  an  undertone,  and  he, 
reaching  down  under  the  seat,  brought  along 
with  them  into  the  house  something  tied  up  in  a 
bag. 

"I'd  clean  furgot  about  it,  Mandy,"  said  he. 
"  Shows  how  much  a  feller  needs  a  body  to  look 
after  Jim." 

The  girl  smiled  gratefully  as  he  looked  fondly 
into  her  face,  lit  up  from  the  light  on  the  porch. 

166 


DAVID  BALDWIN  167 

"  We  had  an  awful  time  a  findin'  where  the  par- 
son lived,"  said  he,  as  Miriam  conducted  the  two 
into  her  comfortable  sitting-room.  "  Mandy, 
p'r'aps  you'd  better  set  up  to  the  stove — I'll  be 
gol — but  there  ain't  any  stove  in  th'  room." 

Meanwhile  Miriam  had  taken  the  girl  in  hand. 

"  You've  been  riding  ?  Just  loosen  your  wraps 
and  sit  here  by  the  register.  I'll  put  on  a  little 
more  draft " — pulling  the  chain  up  a  notch  or  two. 
"It  must  be  very  cold  riding  this  evening?" 

"  Yes,"  answered  the  girl,  taking  the  proffered 
seat.  "  It  was  quite  cold,  but  I  didn't  mind  it  one 
bit." 

"  You  bet  'twas  cold ! "  exclaimed  the  young 
man,  rubbing  his  hands  over  the  heat  from  the 
register.  "One  of  them  things  is  'most  as  good 
es  a  stove,  ain't  they,  Mandy?" — indicating  the 
register.  "  I  know  how  they  work,"  he  continued, 
addressing  himself  to  his  sweetheart.  "They 
have  a  big  stove  down  in  th'  celler,  an'  on  this  is 
a  big  tank.  They  fill  this  tank  with  a  lot  of  air — 
jest  jam  it  in — they  heat  this  air  real  hot — an'  then 
they  have  pipes  a  leadin'  this  air  thet's  het  to  th' 
different  rooms.  It's  quite  a  scheme,  ain't  it? 
Pretty  dum  nigh  es  good  es  havin'  a  stove. 
Mebby  we'll  have  one  some  day,  Mandy." 

"  I  guess  I'd  ruther  have  a  stove,"  answered  the 
girl,  pleased  with  the  display  of  knowledge  her 
lover  had  given  before  the  wife  of  the  minister. 
She  knew  that  her  present  choice  of  a  stove  would 
elevate  her  in  her  lover's  esteem. 


168  THE  MINISTRY  OF 

David's  study  door  opened  and  closed  and  he 
was  heard  coming  down  the  steps. 

"  Good-evening,"  said  he,  entering  the  sitting- 
room  and  shaking  hands  with  the  two  callers. 
"  You  have  driven  in  from  out  of  town  ?  " — glanc- 
ing at  their  heavy  wraps. 

"  Yes ;  from  Carr's  Corners — thet's  nine  mile 
from  here — a  good  nine  mile."  , 

"All  of  that,  I  should  say,"  said  David.  "You 
remember,  dear," — turning  to  Miriam — "we  rode 
out  there  on  our  wheels  not  long  ago." 

"Very  good  farmin'  land  outthet  way,"  said  the 
young  man.  "  Some  of  it's  a  little  rough  yet — 
we're  jest  agettin'  it  in  shape.  Produces  big 
crops — none  better  in  the  state." 

For  ten  minutes  or  more  David  had  to  sit  and 
talk  "  crops  "  to  this  caller  who  persisted  in  sticking 
to  that  subject,  even  though  David  tried  once  or 
twice  to  get  him  away  from  it.  The  girl  was 
silent,  though  at  first  she  had  talked  a  little  to 
Miriam.  Catching  her  lover's  eye,  she  gave  him 
a  sign  as  if  to  say,  "Why  don't  you  tell  the  min- 
ister what  you  want  and  let's  be  done  with  it  ?  " 

Plainly  the  young  fellow  was  honestly  attempt- 
ing to  do  that  very  thing — to  let  the  minister  know 
what  they  had  come  to  him  for.  But,  somehow, 
no  good  place  came,  as  it  seemed  to  him,  to  in- 
troduce the  subject  uppermost  in  his  mind.  So 
he  struggled  on  bravely  for  another  ten  minutes, 
talking  animatedly  on  the  qualities  of  various 
kinds  of  stock,  which  varieties  were  better  for  but- 


DAVID  BALDWIN  169 

ter  and  which  for  beef;  then  the  conversation 
turned  to  the  topic  of  farm  implements  and  ma- 
chinery. 

David  was  beginning  to  get  restless.  He  had 
planned  to  give  the  evening  to  putting  the  finish- 
ing touches  on  his  morning  sermon  for  the  mor- 
row, as  his  time  had  been  broken  into  by  a  funeral 
on  Thursday  of  the  week.  Again  he  tried  to  lead 
the  young  man  to  declare  the  object  of  his  visit, 
by  asking  him  some  questions  concerning  his 
home.  This  led  to  a  graphic,  if  disjointed,  ac- 
count of  his  caller's  family  history.  David  began 
to  feel,  however,  that  he  had  touched  the  right 
chord.  He  was  amused  if  a  little  impatient ;  the 
young  man  was  now  approaching  the  point.  His 
father  had  died  some  time  ago  ;  they  had  had 
their  struggles  to  keep  the  mortgage  from  being 
foreclosed.  But  they  had  done  it.  Lately,  dur- 
ing the  year,  his  mother  had  died  and  he  had 
been  getting  along  as  best  he  could  with  a  younger 
sister  as  housekeeper. 

"  But  a  man  needs  a  wife,  specially  when  he's 
got  cows  to  look  after,"  said  he,  glancing  at  the 
girl,  who  seemed  greatly  relieved  that  her  sus- 
pense was  now  so  near  at  an  end.  "  Things  have 
been  runnin'  behind  ever  sence  mother  died — I 
mean  in  the  house.  Not  that  my  little  sister  hain't 
done  th'  best  she  knowed  how.  She  hes.  But 
she's  young — too  young  to  look  after  cows.  And 
es  me  and  Mandy  had  been  keepin'  company  to- 
gether now  goin'  on  nigh  two  years  an' " 


170  THE  MINISTRY  OF 

"  It  will  be  two  years  come  Easter,"  interrupted 
the  girl. 

"Two  years  come  Easter,"  he  continued. 
"  Well,  only  this  week  we  d'cided  to  git  married. 
And  so  we've  druv  in  to  see  if  you'll  do  the  job 
and  how  much  it'll  cost  us  ?  I've  heard  of  fellers 
payin'  es  much  es  five  dollars.  I  couldn't  go  thet 
steep.  But  I  thought  es  both  o'  our  families, 
mine  and  Mandy's,  had  allers  leaned  toward  your 
church,  you'd  do  it  fur  us  es  cheap  es  anybody, 
an'  p'r'aps  a  little  cheaper,  seeing  how  thet  we'd 
allus  had  a  leanin'  in  your  d'rection." 

He  looked  at  Mandy,  who  nodded  her  head  in 
support  of  her  lover's  statements  as  to  their  re- 
ligious "  leanin'." 

"  I  can't  pay  no  five  dollars  ;  but  I  thought 
p'r'aps  you  might  do  the  job  for  us,  say,  fur  a  dol- 
lar?" The  young  man  raised  his  eyes  to  the 
minister's  face. 

"  It's  not  customary  for  a  clergyman  to  make 
any  definite  charge  for  performing  the  marriage 
ceremony,"  answered  David,  succeeding  with 
some  effort  in  keeping  down  his  amusement. 
"  We  take  whatever  fee  the  groom  sees  fit  to 
give." 

"Then  you'll  do  it  fur  a  dollar?"  asked  the 
prospective  groom.  The  moment  was  filled  with 
anxiety,  as  David  hesitated.  "  You  see  we  jest 
d'cided  this  week  to  have  it  done  so  soon, 
an' " 

A  look  from  Miriam  brought  David  to  a  de- 


DAVID  BALDWIN  171 

cision.  "Yesi  if  that  is  what  you  wish  to  give, 
I  will  perform  the  ceremony.  You  have  your 
license,  of  course?" 

"  Yes,"  handing  David  a  long  envelope  badly 
crumpled  which  he  took  from  his  overcoat  pocket. 
David  examined  the  license. 

"  Very  well,"  said  he  ;  "  I'll  get  my  book." 

In  a  moment  David  returned  from  his  study, 
having  his  pastor's  manual  opened  at  one  of  the 
shorter  forms  of  the  marriage  service.  The 
lovers  were  holding  a  whispered  consultation,  and 
David  considerately  occupied  himself  at  the  other 
end  of  the  room.  From  snatches  of  the  conversa- 
tion which  reached  his  unwilling  ears,  it  seemed 
that  the  girl  was  urging  the  young  man  to  make 
some  disclosure  before  the  ceremony.  This  he 
seemed  unwilling  to  do.  She,  however,  insisted 
and  finally  gained  her  point. 

"  Mandy  thinks,"  began  the  young  man  with 
evident  reluctance,  "  thet  I  should  tell  you  b'fore 
the  job's  done  thet  we  ain't  got  no  dollar  with  us 
— seein'  there  wa'n't  nothin'  much  to  take  to 
market  jest  now  to  get  no  money  with.  But  we 
thought  mebby  you  wouldent  mind  takin'  your 
pay  in  something  we  could  bring  along.  So 
we've  brung  along  some  beeswax.  I  told  her  thet 
beeswax  was  jest  exactly  es  good  es  cash  and  thet 
you  could  sell  it  at  any  of  the  stores,  seein'  we 
didn't  get  to  town  time  enough.  You  don't  mind 
takin'  your  pay  in  beeswax,  do  you?  I  told 
Mandy  you  wouldent  mind — I  knowed  you 


172  THE  MINISTRY  OF 

wouldent ;  but  she  says  I  must  tell  you  before 
the  marry  in' s  done  and  not  wait  till  afterward,  es 
I  wanted  to,  knowin'  you  wouldent  mind." 

David,  again  amused  at  this  unexpected  turn 
of  affairs,  waited  patiently  for  the  young  man  to 
conclude  his  speech  which  seemed  difficult  to 
draw  to  a  close.  The  girl  sat  looking  appre- 
hensively from  the  face  of  her  lover  to  that  of  the 
minister,  anxious,  yet  confident  she  had  insisted 
on  what  was  right.  Just  inside  the  doorway, 
where  the  young  man  had  left  it  on  entering  the 
room,  was  a  bag  containing,  doubtless,  the  pro- 
posed fee. 

"  Under  the  circumstances,"  began  David,  "  I 
won't  mind  taking  as  my  fee  a  dollar's  worth  of 
beeswax,  though  it  was  well  to  mention  this  fact 
before  the  ceremony  was  performed.  It  puts  the 
matter  on  a  different  basis." 

"  Thet's  what  I  told  John,"  said  the  girl,  pleased 
that  the  minister  had  taken  her  view  of  the  matter. 
"Tell  him  the  rest  of  it,  John." 

John  hesitated. 

"  But,  Mandy,  there  ain't  no  use  till  after 

"John,  tell  th'  parson  th'  rest  now  or  there 
won't  be  any  after" 

"  Well,  Parson,"  began  the  reluctant  John, 
"  what  Mandy  wants  me  to  tell  you  is  jest  this — 
by  actual  weight  th'  beeswax  we've  got  in  thet 
there  bag  ain't  wuth  quite  a  dollar.  But  it's  A 
Number  One — every  pound  of  it !  At  market 
price  it  'ud  fetch  jest  about  seventy-five  cents. 


DAVID  BALDWIN  173 

But  it's  all  thet  me  an'  Mandy  could  scrape  up 
'tween  us,  seein'  thet  we  had  nothin'  else  to  turn 
off  jest  now.  Would  you  mind  doin'  the  job  an' 
waitin'  on  us  till  spring,  say,  for  th'  rest  of  your 
pay?" 

This  further  explanation  of  the  prospective 
groom  aroused  in  David  the  suspicion  that  the 
young  man  had  over-persuaded  the  girl  to  consent 
to  this  hastily  arranged  marriage,  and  that  very 
probably  she  would  be  glad  to  have  the  marriage 
postponed  till  John  could  get  his  financial  condi- 
tion in  better  shape. 

"  It  is  my  opinion,"  said  he,  ignoring  the  young 
man's  question  and  addressing  both  of  them,  "  it 
is  my  opinion  that  you  two  had  better  wait  a 
while  before  getting  married.  Would  it  not  be 
better  to  get  a  little  money  ahead  before  taking 
this  important  step?  Suppose  you  wait  until 
spring.  Come  to  me  then." 

The  minister's  well-meaning  advice  was  in- 
terrupted by  the  young  woman  herself.  Touch- 
ing John  on  the  arm,  she  whispered  some  words 
not  intended  for  the  minister's  ear. 

"  Say,  John,  ask  him  if — if  he  couldn't  marry  us 
now  as  far  as — as," as  far  as  the  beeswax  goes?" 

With  no  little  effort  David  with  outward  gravity 
faced  the  new  situation. 

"But  if  both  of  you  really  wish  to  be  married 
now,"  said  he,  before  the  young  man  had  time  to 
speak,  "I  will  perform  the  ceremony  at  once. 
As  for  the  fee — take  the  beeswax  home  with  you, 


174  DAVID  BALDWIN 

and  some  time  next  spring  when  it  is  perfectly 
convenient  you  may  bring  us  a  jar  of  butter  or 
some  fresh  eggs — as  many  or  as  few  as  you  wish, 
and  it  will  be  all  right." 

Within  five  minutes  David  was  reascending  the 
stairs,  two  steps  at  a  time.  But  as  he  sat  down 
to  work  on  his  sermon,  the  flow  of  his  thoughts 
was  more  than  once  interrupted  by  the  remem- 
brance of  the  phrase  "  marry  us  now  as  far  as  the 
beeswax  goes." 

He  laughed  aloud. 

"  Did  she  think  that  the  marriage  ceremony 
could  be  performed  on  the  instalment  plan,  I 
wonder  ?  " 


XII 

THE  days  of  each  week  slipped  by  all  too 
rapidly  for  the  comfort  of  the  young  pas- 
tor ;  for  each  Sunday  brought  with  it  the 
necessity  of  having  two  sermons  in  shape.  By 
the  time  his  first  year  at  Tioga  was  half  over, 
David  was  beginning  to  be  sorely  perplexed  for 
sermon  material ;  he  had  preached,  as  it  seemed  to 
him,  on  almost  every  conceivable  phase  of  the 
Christian  life  and  experience ;  and  he  was  filled 
with  an  awful  dread  lest  he  should  be  found  repeat- 
ing himself. 

On  Sunday  evenings  he  and  Miriam  had  their 
lunch  after  the  service,  and  for  an  hour  or  more 
they  would  sit  at  the  table  visiting,  like — like  the 
lovers  they  were. 

"  I  wonder  what  in  the  world  I  can  get  to  preach 
about  next  Sunday  ?  "  he  sometimes  would  say. 
"  I  haven't  a  single  idea  left." 

"  But  you  said  the  same  thing  last  Sunday 
evening,  dear;  and  see  what  excellent  sermons 
you  had  worked  out  by  the  end  of  the  week." 

"  Well,  perhaps  my  morning  sermon  wasn't  so 
bad  ;  but  this  evening  I  had  to  go  pretty  much  on 
my  muscle,  as  we  boys  used  to  say  in  college." 

"  But  I  didn't  notice  anything  out  of  the  way 
this  evening,  dear ;  it  was  all  right.  And  this 
morning  several  of  the  ladies,  Mrs.  James,  Mrs. 

175 


176  THE  MINISTRY  OF 

Wood,  Mrs.  Terry  and  perhaps  some  others,  yes 
and  Mrs.  Strong,  of  course,  all  had  something  nice 
to  say  of  the  sermon  as  I  met  them  after  the  service." 

"That's  only  because  you  are  the  minister's 
wife." 

"  I  am  sure  these  ladies  are  sincere,  David. 
They  wouldn't  say  they  enjoyed  the  sermon,  if  they 
didn't  mean  it.  You  don't  believe  that  Mrs.  James 
would  commend  anything  unless  she  really  thought 
it  was  good  ?  " 

"  Well,  no ;  I  hardly  think  Mrs.  James  would," 
admitted  David  reluctantly.  "Isn't  she  a  fine 
woman !  I  hope,  Miriam,  when  you  get  to  be  her 
age,  about  forty  years  from  now,  you'll  be  just  like 
her." 

"  Indeed,  nothing  would  please  me  more.  To 
be  in  her  presence  is  such  an  inspiration — just  to  be 
near  her  makes  one  feel  that  goodness  is  worth 
while." 

"  And  I  can  always  preach  better  when  she  is  at 
church.  You  know  she  was  away  a  few  weeks 
visiting  her  daughter  in  Chicago.  I  felt  the  dif- 
ference. What  sermons  a  man  could  preach  if  he 
had  a  house  full  of  such  listeners  as  Mrs.  James  1 " 

"  Deacon  Long — isn't  he  a  good  listener?  " 

"  My  dear,  don't  mention  Deacon  Long  in  the 
same  breath  with  Mrs.  James.  They're  as  unlike 
as  lead  and  gold."  David  had  folded  his  napkin 
and  was  pushing  back  from  the  table. 

"  I  know,  dear,  they  are  very  unlike.  Yet  the 
deacon  must  be  a  very  good  man." 


DAVID  BALDWIN  177 

"  What  makes  you  think  so  ?  " 

"  He  seems  to  prize  your  sermons  very  highly. 
Nearly  every  Sunday  while  you  are  preaching  I  see 
him  taking  notes,  writing  your  best  thoughts  down 
in  a  little  book." 

"  Is  that  so?  I  hadn't  noticed  it.  Perhaps  the 
deacon  is  more  interested  than  I  have  been  giv- 
ing him  credit  for  being.  Somehow  I'd  got  the 
impression  he  didn't  care  very  much  for  my  ser- 
mons. You  know  he  is  very  conservative." 

"  But  he  listens  so  attentively,  and  though  some- 
times his  eyes  are  shut,  I  know  he  is  listening  just 
the  same.  For  when  you've  said  something  espe- 
cially helpful,  even  when  he  seemed  to  be  asleep, 
out  comes  his  note-book  and  pencil  and  he  writes 
the  sentence  down.  Isn't  it  fine  that  so  old  a 
man,  even  if  he  is  conservative,  can  appreciate  the 
newer  ideas  ?  " 

"  Perhaps  the  deacon  doesn't  always  recognize 
the  new  theology  when  he  hears  it.  At  any  rate  I 
am  glad  he  is  interested.  It  may  be  I'll  have  to  re- 
vise my  opinion  of  him  yet." 

"  Does  he  never  say  anything  to  you  about  your 
sermons,  dear  ?  I  should  think  he  would — he's  the 
only  one  in  the  audience  that  takes  notes  on  them 
— except,  of  course,  the  reporter,  Mr.  Waller,  when 
he  is  there." 

"  Well,  no  ;  nothing  in  particular.  Yes,  once  he 
did  say  something,  and  at  the  time  I  thought  it 
gave  me  a  clue  to  his  attitude  toward  me." 

"What  did  he  say?" 


178  THE  MINISTRY  OF 

"It's  scarcely  worth  repeating,  but  he  asked  me 
one  Sunday  whether  or  not  I  believed  in  the 
divinity  of  Christ.  His  question  was  very  abrupt ; 
and  when  I  assured  him  that  I  did  so  believe,  he 
seemed,  I  fancied,  disappointed. 

"'I  got  the  impression,'  said  he,  'from  some- 
thing you  said  last  Sunday  morning,  that  you 
didn't  accept  the  virgin  birth  of  our  Saviour.' 

"  '  Perhaps  we  may  look  at  this  subject  from  dif- 
ferent angles  of  vision,  deacon,'  I  replied,  not  wish- 
ing to  enter  into  a  discussion  with  the  old  gentle- 
man ;  *  yet  rest  assured,'  said  I, '  no  one  accepts  the 
divinity  of  Christ  more  heartily  than  I  do.' 

"  '  But  if  he  wasn't  conceived  of  the  Holy  Ghost, 
how  can  he  be  divine?'  the  deacon  persisted. 
Fortunately  some  other  people  came  toward  the 
door  just  then  and  without  appearing  to  do  so  I  got 
away  from  him.  I  have  a  suspicion,  Miriam,  that 
Deacon  Long  is  not  altogether  easy  in  his  own 
mind  as  to  my  orthodoxy." 

"  Has  he  said  anything  further  to  you  on  the 
subject?"  asked  Miriam. 

"No.  Though  I  shouldn't  wonder  if  he  has 
come  to  know  what  my  position  is." 

"  How  is  that,  if  you  didn't  tell  him  ?  " 

"  It  was  this  way.  Mr.  Brand,  you  know,  has 
put  himself  out  of  the  way  to  be  nice  to  us." 

"  Yes  ;  he  has  invited  us  to  his  home,  time  after 
time,  yet  I  never  feel  altogether  comfortable  in  his 
presence." 

"  But  he  was  doing  so  much  to  make  it  pleasant 


DAVID  BALDWIN  179 

for  us,  and  as  he  had  been  a  pastor  himself  years 
ago  before  his  health  failed,  I  suppose  it  was  only 
natural  for  me  to  be  a  little  more  confidential  with 
him  than  I  would  have  been  otherwise ;  but  if  I 
had  it  to  do  over  again,  I  wouldn't  take  Mr.  Brand 
into  my  confidence  on  any  subject.  I  have  felt 
since  that  he  was  just  leading  me  on." 

"  Why,  David,  I  never  mistrusted  that  Mr. 
Brand  would  do  such  a  thing  as  that  1  May  it  not 
be  possible  that  you  are  misjudging  him  ?" 

"  Indeed,  I  wish  it  were  so.  But  I  am  morally 
certain  that  I  am  not  misjudging  him.  The  last 
time  we  were  up  there,  was  the  week  after  Deacon 
Long  had  questioned  me  on  the  divinity  of  Christ. 
Well,  somehow, — I  do  not  remember  just  what  did 
bring  the  subject  up — Mr.  Brand  and  I  got  to  talk- 
ing on  the  same  topic — the  divinity  of  Christ ;  on 
the  attitude  of  modern  scholarship  toward  the  vir- 
gin birth  narratives,  and  what  views  the  various 
Chicago  professors  in  the  Divinity  school  held ; 
and  during  our  conversation  which  by  no  means 
was  a  one-sided  one,  I  felt  he  was  quite  in  sym- 
pathy with  the  modern  position.  At  least  his  re- 
marks created  that  impression  in  my  mind  ;  and  in 
reverting  to  Deacon  Long's  attempt  to  catechise  me, 
I  frankly  stated  my  own  conviction  that  in  accept- 
ing the  divinity  of  Christ  it  did  not  seem  at  all 
necessary  to  adopt  the  early  church's  attempt  to 
explain  it.  I  told  him  that  I  preferred  to  look 
upon  the  virgin  birth  accounts  as  attempts  on  the 
part  of  the  early  biographers  of  Christ  to  put  a 


J80  THE  MINISTRY  OF 

physical  basis  or  explanation  under  a  life  which 
they  recognized  as  divine  and  felt  the  need  of  ex- 
plaining ;  but  that  it  seemed  best  to  me  not  to  at- 
tempt to  explain  the  divinity  of  Christ  by  any  such 
physical  circumstance  or  condition  as  that  alluded 
to  in  the  virgin  birth  accounts,  but  to  leave  the 
whole  matter  unexplained,  to  accept  Christ  as  the 
master  of  our  lives  and  joyfully  live  in  the  inspira- 
tion of  his  presence,  believing  in  him  for  what  he 
was  and  is — the  incarnation  of  God's  highest  and 
holiest  message  to  the  human  race." 

David  was  greatly  animated  in  giving  Miriam 
this  account  of  his  conversation  with  Mr.  Brand ; 
the  subjects  of  the  new  theology  always  stirred 
him. 

"  Of  course  you  felt  freer  to  discuss  these  sub- 
jects with  him  than  you  would  with  many  others 
in  the  church,"  observed  Miriam,  as  she  began  to 
gather  up  the  dishes  and  set  the  things  away. 
"It's  so  hard  not  to  be  confidential,  especially 
when  people  are  so  kind  as  the  Brands  have 
been." 

"  Yes ;  but  in  view  of  what  has  since  happened, 
I  see  that  Mr.  Brand  was  just  leading  me  on  ;  that 
he  is  not  at  all  in  sympathy  with  modern  thought." 

"  That  was  very,  very  mean  of  him !  I  had  no  idea 
he  was  such  a  man.  I  can  scarcely  believe  it." 

"  Nor  I.  Yet  I  am  coming  to  think  he  is  a  most 
perfect  combination  of  Dr.  Jekyl  and  Mr.  Hyde. 
In  some  respects  he  is  goodness  personified.  In 
others, — well,  I  am  being  compelled  to  believe  he 


DAVID  BALDWIN  181 

is  capable  of  almost  any  underhanded  trick  or 
meanness  to  carry  his  purpose." 

"  Why,  David !  I  am  surprised  to  hear  you 
speak  in  this  way !  They  have  been  so  good  to 
us.  You've  never  said  a  word  of  this  to  me 
before." 

"  No.  I  was  waiting  to  be  certain.  Mrs.  Wood — 
you  know  she  is  very  much  in  sympathy  with  what 
I  am  trying  to  do — the  other  day  she  advised  me 
to  be  very  careful  of  what  I  said  to  Mr.  Brand. 
She  had  been  calling  at  the  Longs',  and  the  deacon 
had  given  her  a  full  report  of  my  conversation 
with  Mr.  Brand.  She  said  though  the  deacon  was 
simply  horrified  at  my  heresy,  as  he  terms  it,  yet 
he  was  strangely  elated  over  the  fact  of  having 
made  the  discovery;  for  it  seems  that  he  and 
Brand  have  been  working  together  to  get  me  to 
commit  myself  on  some  of  these  subjects  which  I 
have  studiously  and  religiously  refrained  from  pre- 
senting from  the  pulpit." 

"  But  you  refrained  from  presenting  them  only 
because  you  thought  the  people — many  of  them — 
were  not  yet  ready  for  these  newer  ideas,  didn't 
you,  dear?" 

"  Yes.  While  the  University  element  of  the  con- 
gregation is  eager  for  the  newer  thought  and 
ready  for  it,  that  part  of  the  audience  not  touched 
by  the  University  or  by  the  modern  ideas  in  edu- 
cation and  literature,  had  to  be  prepared,  little  by 
little  for  many  of  the  things  I  would  like  to  say  to 
them." 


182  THE  MINISTRY  OF 

"That's  only  natural.  Christ  found  the  same 
necessity  ;  and  so  does  every  teacher  of  new  ideas 
in  religion.  We  must  be  content  to  go  slowly, 
dear ;  and  yet  one  can  remain  true  to  the  message 
that  burns  within  his  own  heart,  even  though  he 
may  think  it  best  to  keep  some  things  in  reserve 
for  a  while,  as  you  are  trying  to  do,  dear." 

"  But  being  true  to  his  message  led  Christ  to  the 
cross.  It  was  just  such  people  as  Brand  and  Long 
who  brought  him  there — people  who  regarded  it 
a  crime  for  another  to  have  ideas  of  God  different 
from  their  own.  I  am  afraid  these  two  men  will 
cause  me  trouble  yet.  Mr.  Brand  has  great  in- 
fluence in  the  church." 

"  But,  dear,  think  of  the  number  of  families  who 
are  so  much  in  sympathy  with  the  newer  thought, 
and  the  increasing  number  of  students  coming  to 
hear  you.  I  wouldn't  mind  what  these  two  men 
do  think,  though  of  course  it  is  annoying." 

"They  are  watching  me,  that's  certain.  Of 
course,  I  shall  continue  to  be  moderate — as  mod- 
erate as  possible — in  my  pulpit  utterances.  But. 
any  one  can  see  that  all  of  my  sermons  are 
based  on  and  grow  out  of  the  newer  point  of 
view." 

"  That's  what  makes  them  so  helpful,  dear ; 
they  are  so  vital  and  make  religion  such  a  real 
part  of  life.  I  couldn't  bear  to  listen  to  you  if  you 
preached  such  sermons  as  Mr.  Brand  evidently 
would  like  to  hear.  But  I  must  go  now,  dear.  It's 
getting  late."  She  kissed  him  on  the  forehead  as 


DAVID  BALDWIN  183 

she  was  leaving  the  room.  "  Don't  stay  up  too 
long  burying  your  sermons  under  that  story. 
Good-night,  dear." 

"Good-night,  sweetheart ;  pleasant  dreams." 

David  adjusts  himself  to  his  easy  chair,  throw- 
ing one  leg  carelessly  over  an  arm  of  the  chair, 
and  leans  back  so  that  a  good  light  falls  on  the 
page.  The  book  is  one  he  has  drawn  from  the 
city  library,  a  very  interesting  story  the  librarian 
had  said,  when  he  inquired  for  something  to  read 
Sunday  evening  after  church.  The  librarian  had 
come  to  know  about  what  the  pastor  of  the  First 
Church  wanted  ;  for  just  before  retiring  on  Sunday 
evening,  David  always  read  the  most  interesting 
book  he  could  get,  until  he  became  thoroughly 
interested  in  the  story  and  was  loath  to  give  it  up. 
Then  he  would  go  to  bed  and  soon  be  fast  asleep. 
If  he  did  not  lose  himself  thus,  in  some  story  be- 
fore retiring,  his  sermons  of  the  day  would  be 
going  through  his  mind  all  night,  either  keeping 
him  awake  or  disturbing  his  rest. 

David  hears  the  clock  on  the  mantel  strike 
twelve ;  he  will  read  only  fifteen  minutes  more ; 
the  half  hour  strikes  and  David  starts — he  will  go 
to  bed  in  just  a  minute  or  two — just  as  soon  as  he 
finishes  that  chapter.  At  the  end  of  the  chapter 
the  situation  is  almost  too  interesting  to  leave — 
just  one  more  chapter,  is  his  resolve. 

With  interest  at  the  keenest  point,  David  closes 
the  book  and  steals  softly  to  bed.  The  clock 
strikes  one,  but  he  does  not  hear  it.  Blessed, 


184  DAVID  BALDWIN 

blessed  sleep — God's  choicest  gift  to  weary  brain 
and  tired  body !     Sleep  well  and  long. 

Blessed,  blessed  gift  of  imagination !  For 
through  its  gracious  service  this  tired  preacher 
had,  so  to  speak,  taken  his  jaded  mind  out  walk- 
ing amidst  scenes  delightful  and  refreshing, 
changing  his  thought,  inviting  relaxation,  en- 
abling him  to  dismiss  everything  which  tended  to 
frighten  that  shy  and  capricious  visitor,  the  angel 
of  repose. 


XIII 

"  "IT  ET  me  see — when  is  the  time  for  our  an- 
nual collection  for  foreign  missions  ?  It's 

-* — *  a  week  from  Sunday,  isn't  it  ?  " 

"  Yes,  a  week  from  next  Sunday. " 

"So  far  as  I  can  see,  it  will  be  just  impossible 
for  us  to  give  anything  this  year.  I  am  sorry,  but 
I  don't  see  how  we  can  do  otherwise.  This  liv- 
ing on  the  instalment  plan,  having  so  many 
things  to  meet  each  month,  cuts  us  down  to  the 
last  notch." 

"  But,  David,  we're  having  the  use  of  the  things 
and  we  couldn't  very  well  do  without  any  of  them. 
Of  course  the  sewing-machine  is  all  paid  for. 
That's  one  thing  less  to  think  about." 

"  But  its  place  was  soon  taken  by  that  suit  of 
clothes  I  had  to  order.  I  wonder  if  we'll  ever  get 
out  of  the  woods,  having  commenced  this  way  ?  " 

"  Why,  yes,  dear.  It  won't  be  long  before  sev- 
eral of  the  things  will  be  paid  for." 

"  But  for  every  one  we  pay  off  it  seems  we  have 
two  other  things  we  ought  to  get." 

It  was  Monday  and  David  was  blue.  Blueness, 
however,  was  not  always  an  accompaniment  to 
David's  Mondays,  only  to  one  now  and  then, 
whose  color  became  occasionally  so  intense  as  to 
make  up  for  the  Mondays  that  were  not  blue.  On 
these  days  Miriam  had  learned  to  discount  many 

185 


186  THE  MINISTRY  OF 

things  her  husband  said  by  about  fifty  per  cent. 
She  was  learning  also  how  she  could  best  break 
the  power  of  these  spells :  that  one  of  the  surest  anti- 
dotes was  to  take  tea  with  the  Stewart  family 
where  the  abounding  life  currents  were  so  normal 
and  so  strong.  David  would  soon  catch  some- 
thing of  their  movement,  be  drawn  out  of  his  little 
eddy  where  the  water  was  getting  unwholesome, 
and  before  the  time  for  their  return  home,  he  would 
be  quite  himself  again.  During  these  blue  times, 
calls  on  some  of  the  other  church  families  had 
just  the  opposite  effect,  making  his  mood  more 
severely  intense.  These  families  Miriam  endeav- 
ored to  shun  during  these  trying  days,  as  she 
would  have  endeavored  to  shun  exposing  David 
to  some  terrible  disease ;  but  at  the  Strongs',  the 
Stones',  the  James'  and  the  Stewarts',  especially  at 
the  Stewarts',  it  was  always  well  to  call  when  David 
had  the  blues.  And  a  call  there  usually  meant 
staying  to  supper.  Nor  did  this  inconvenience 
the  Stewart  household  in  the  least — two  more 
plates  were  laid,  though  more  often  only  one,  for 
there  was  usually  one  extra  plate  on  their  ample 
board.  Not  a  single  thing  extra  was  cooked,  and 
there  was  no  flurrying,  no  fussing,  no  stewing,  no 
apologies ;  just  a  hearty  welcome  and  always  the 
same. 

But  before  Miriam  said  anything  of  all  this 
which  was  in  her  mind,  David  continued,  anent 
their  financial  situation  and  the  missionary  collec- 
tion. 


DAVID  BALDWIN  187 

"  It  will  not  be  setting  a  very  good  example  un- 
less we  contribute  something,"  said  he,  dejectedly  ; 
"  yet  for  the  life  of  me  I  don't  see  how  we  can  do 
it.  I  shall  not  be  able  this  month  to  pay  for  those 
things  we  had  to  get  at  the  drug  store." 

"  I  have  been  thinking  of  this  collection  for  some 
time,  dear ;  and  I've  succeeded  in  saving  nearly  a 
dollar  toward  it." 

"  Saving  nearly  a  dollar  ?  Miriam,  what  can 
you  mean  ?  "  Astonishment  was  written  all  over 
David's  face. 

"  Well,"  confessed  Miriam,  "  for  several  weeks 
I've  had  this  collection  in  mind,  as  I  knew  just 
how  we  are  situated  financially ;  so  I  set  out  to 
save  a  little  and  I'll  have  a  dollar  by  a  week  from 
Sunday." 

"But  how — how  have  you  done  it?"  persisted 
David. 

Miriam  hesitated.  "  That's  my  secret ;  per- 
haps I  don't  care  to  let  you  know  all  my  secrets." 

"  Very  well " — the  little  blue  devils  were  ac- 
countable for  the  tone  in  which  he  said  it — "  very 
well." 

"  Of  course,  dear,  if  you  really  want  to  know  ; 
but  I've  enjoyed  keeping  it  so  far  very  much.  I 
know  it's  selfish  and  I  should  have  shared  it  with 
you  long  ago.  I  have  been " 

"  There  are  some  books  I  must  return  to  the 
city  library  this  afternoon,"  interrupted  David, 
ashamed  of  having  spoken  as  he  did.  "  Do  you 
wish  me  to  return  yours  ?  " 


188  THE  MINISTRY  OF 

"  No,  dear ;  I'm  not  through  with  it  yet.  It's 
not  due  for  another  week." 

"  Perhaps  I'll  get  back  in  time  to  make  one  or 
two  calls.  Are  there  any  special  places  we  should 
go  ?  "  he  asked,  as  he  gathered  up  his  book. 

"  How  would  it  do  to  take  tea  with  the 
Stewarts'  ?  We  haven't  been  there  for  some  time, 
— at  least  Mary  wanted  to  know  yesterday  if  we 
weren't  ever  going  to  come  and  see  them  any 
more." 

"  Why,  we  call  there  twice  as  much  as  we  do 
anywhere  else — seven  times  more  than  at  some 
places." 

In  good  season  David  returned  from  the 
library  ;  and  after  making  one  other  call,  they  set 
out,  at  David's  own  suggestion,  for  Auntie 
Stewart's,  as  he  had  come  to  designate  that 
household. 

Mary  welcomed  them  heartily  at  the  door. 

"  Just  come  right  in.  I'll  call  mother.  So  you 
did  repent  of  your  sins,  and  decide  to  call  on  us 
again  ?  " 

"  Yes,  we  thought  it  was  about  time  for  you  to 
have  a  call  from  the  minister — some  people,  you 
know,  need  looking  after  oftener  than  others." 

"'So  I've  heard.  And  I  know  some  people  who 
are  so  bad  they  have  to  go  to  church  twice  a  Sun- 
day— it  must  be  awful  trying  on  one's  constitution 
to  have  to  go  to  church  twice  on  Sundays,  as 
preachers  have  to  do." 

Mary  Stewart  always  had  an  answer  ready  for 


DAVID  BALDWIN  189 

David  ;  and  these  two  found  great  fun  in  parrying 
the  other's  thrusts. 

Such  original  ideas  as  this  young  lady  had  on 
so  many  theological  topics  !  "  The  Bible  presents 
such  funny  conceptions  of  heaven,"  she  once  said 
to  David.  "  Now  I  don't  take  any  stock  in  golden 
streets  and  walls  of  jasper  and  harps  and  all  such 
things." 

" Indeed  ?  " 

"  No.  The  heaven  that  I  believe  in  is  far  dif- 
ferent." 

"  Different  ?  " 

"  Yes ;  anybody  can  see  that  it  was  a  man  and 
not  a  woman  who  wrote  that  account  in  the  Bible. 
If  Mrs.  St.  John  had  had  hold  of  the  pen  I  fancy 
it  would  have  been  very  different.  Men  have  so 
little  imagination  on  some  subjects — especially 
heaven." 

"  What  do  you  fancy  Mrs.  St.  John  might  have 
written  ?  "  asked  David. 

"  Well,  if  she's  had  to  get  up  all  her  life,  and 
get  the  breakfast  for  a  family  as  large  as  ours,  I'm 
sure  she'd  have  written  something  about  heaven's 
being  a  place  where  everybody  could  just  lie  abed 
till  breakfast  was  ready.  Now  I'm  sure  that'd  be 
a  very  sensible  thing  to  say  about  heaven,  and 
much  more  consoling  to  us  women  than  golden 
streets  and  jasper  walls,  especially  if  we  happen 
to  be  the  ones  who've  had  to  get  the  breakfasts 
every  morning  since  we  can  remember." 

"  Listen  to  that,  Mrs.  Baldwin  !     Mary's  trying 


190  THE  MINISTRY  OF 

to  make  a  heretic  of  your  husband  ! "  exclaimed 
Cora,  who  had  entered  the  sitting-room  as  her  sis- 
ter was  talking. 

Miriam  and  Mrs.  Stewart  always  found  much  in 
common,  and  had  some  of  the  best  of  visits,  the 
only  hindrance  being  the  attempts  of  three  or  four 
of  the  other  members  of  the  family  who  were  try- 
ing to  engage  in  conversation  with  Miriam  at  the 
same  time,  not  with  disrespect  to  their  mother, 
however,  but  just  edging  in  overflow  remarks  now 
and  then.  When  the  boys  were  all  in  after  sup- 
per, the  seven  young  people  were  well  nigh  irre- 
sistible, but  Tom  was  the  acknowledged  leader  in 
wit  and  repartee,  while  even  the  youngest  mem- 
ber of  the  family,  Elizabeth,  was  shyly  learning  to 
enter  the  lists  with  the  rest. 

With  David  and  Miriam  in  their  midst  conver- 
sation simply  ran  wild,  three  or  four  centres  going 
at  full  speed  all  at  one  time,  reminding  an  observer 
of  a  three  or  four-ringed  performance  at  a  circus. 

In  the  old  gentleman,  the  sense  of  humor  was 
highly  developed,  and  few  things  pleased  him 
more  than  to  get  off  a  joke  on  his  wife. 

"  Do  you  believe  in  family  prayer,  Mr.  Bald- 
win ?  "  Mr.  Stewart  asked,  having  waited  two  or 
three  minutes  for  a  suitable  opportunity  for  wedg- 
ing his  question  in.  "  I  would  like  to  know  if  you 
as  a  minister  advise  newly  married  couples  to 
have  family  prayer  ?  " 

"Now,  Ephraim!"  protested  his  wife.  "I 
thought  you'd  forgotten  all  about  that  long  ago." 


DAVID  BALDWIN  191 

"  Forgotten  ?  Why,  Susan,  I  haven't  forgotten 
it  any  more  than  you  have." 

The  younger  members  of  the  family  had  heard 
the  story  before — some  of  them  more  than  once  ; 
but  attention  spoke  eloquently  of  their  desire  to 
enjoy  it  again.  David  mistrusted  that  something 
was  coming. 

"If  I  am  to  state  my  practice,  as  I  have  had 
only  one  marriage,  I  fear,  Mr.  Stewart,  there  wasn't 
anything  said  one  way  or  the  other  on  the  subjects 
of  prayers." 

"  Well,"  continued  the  old  man  almost  shaking 
with  suppressed  laughter,  "  when  Susan  and  I 
were  married,  the  minister  was  very  careful  to  en- 
join upon  us  the  solemn  duty  and  great  privilege 
of  family  worship.  We  were  both  duly  impressed. 
It  so  happened  that  we  did  not  go  to  keeping 
house  for  a  few  weeks  ;  but  when  we  did,  the  old 
minister's  exhortation  was  fresh  in  our  ears. 

"  It  was  the  first  evening  in  our  little  home. 
*  Susan/  said  I,  '  shall  we  not  follow  the  good 
minister's  advice  and  establish  a  family  altar?' 

"'His  words  have  ever  been  in  my  mind, 
Ephraim,  and  I  am  agreed  to  it,'  she  replied. 

"  *  Don't  you  think  it  would  be  better  for  both 
of  us  to  pray — each  making  a  short  prayer,  than 
for  just  one  of  us  to  pray?1  I  asked  knowing 
that  Susan  was  very  fluent  in  the  prayer-meetings 
from  which  I  used  to  see  her  home. 

"  *  Why,  just  as  you  like,  Ephraim — just  as  you 
think  best.' 


192  THE  MINISTRY  OF 

" '  I  always  enjoy  your  prayers,  Susan/  said  I. 

"So  it  was  agreed  that  after  reading  a  few 
verses  of  Scripture,  each  of  us  should  lead  in 
prayer.  Now,  though  I  was  a  member  of  the 
church  I  had  never  been  much  of  a  hand  at  pray- 
ing out  loud,  and  at  my  father's  home  we  were 
not  accustomed  to  having  family  worship.  So  it 
is  not  to  be  wondered  at  if  I  didn't  get  in  all  the 
customary  phrases.  I  just  plunged  ahead  asking 
the  Lord  for  what  I  wanted  and  thanking  him  for 
his  many  blessings. 

"Well,  somewhere  in  the  prayer  I  wanted  to 
say  something  about  Susan.  As  nearly  as  I 
could  remember  afterward  I  said  :  *  O  Lord,  help 
Susan  to  be  a  better  woman.'  I  don't  know  just 
why  I  used  those  words ;  guess  I  simply  wanted 
the  Lord  to  bless  her,  that  was  all.  I  didn't  mean 
anything  special  by  it,  not  in  the  least. 

"But  evidently  Susan  didn't  think  so.  The 
first  part  of  her  prayer  was  very  eloquent,  she 
seemed  even  more  animated  than  usual.  But  all 
of  a  sudden  her  tone  changed.  *O  Lord,'  said 
she,  as  if  in  offset  to  my  petition  for  her,  '  O  Lord, 
keep  Ephraim  from  being  such  a  fool.' ' 

Even  Mrs.  Stewart  joined  in  the  hearty  laugh 
which  greeted  the  end  of  her  husband's  reminis- 
cence. 

"  Since  that  time,  Mr.  Baldwin,"  continued  Mr. 
Stewart  when  he  was  able  to  make  himself  heard, 
"  since  that  time  Susan  and  I  have  each  made  our 
communications  to  the  Lord  privately." 


DAVID  BALDWIN  193 

During  the  moments  they  were  listening  to 
their  father,  Mary  and  Tom  and  Cora  and  the 
rest,  having  each  thought  of  some  incident  too 
good  to  keep,  were  eager  to  plunge  into  the  midst 
of  the  competition  for  a  listener.  Four  to  five 
were  talking  at  once,  some  at  Miriam  and  some 
at  David.  Doubtless  it  is  custom  that  has  re- 
stricted us  to  being  able  to  listen  to  only  one 
speaker  at  a  time ;  for  Mrs.  Stewart  had  no 
trouble  in  keeping  in  touch  with  the  several  con- 
versations going  on  about  her. 

As  the  callers  rose  to  go  Mr.  Stewart  ap- 
proached David. 

"  That  was  a  grand  sermon  you  gave  us  Sunday 
morning,  Mr.  Baldwin,  a  grand  sermon.  It  gave 
me  an  entirely  new  conception  of  the  book  of  Job. 
But  why  shouldn't  a  Hebrew  write  a  drama  as 
well  as  a  Greek?  Why  shouldn't  a  Hebrew 
writer  use  his  creative  imagination  the  same  as 
writers  of  all  other  nations  have  done  ?  For  one  I 
am  proud  that  the  First  Church  of  Tioga  has  a 
pastor  who  is  in  sympathy  with  these  modern 
views  of  the  Bible." 

"Thank  you,  Mr.  Stewart:  I  am  glad  if  you 
found  the  sermon  helpful." 

"Indeed  I  did.  The  book  of  Job  has  never 
meant  anything  to  me — it  was  all  a  jumble — what 
Bildad,  Eliphaz  and  Zophar  said  being  all  on  the 
same  plane  with  what  Job  said.  But  now,  when, 
as  you  pointed  out,  the  writer  puts  what  he  does 
not  believe  in  the  mouths  of  the  three  friends,  and 


194  THE  MINISTRY  OF 

has  Job  get  the  best  of  them  in  the  debate,  I  can 
see  some  meaning  to  it  all.  The  old  ideas  of  that 
day  are  shown  to  be  inadequate.  And  those 
scenes  before  the  debate  begins — why  I  always 
was  taught  to  look  upon  them  as  actual  occur- 
rences." 

"  Of  course.     So  was  I." 

"  I  used  to  get  into  all  sorts  of  difficulties  when 
I  thought  about  it, — when  I  read  it  as  actual  oc- 
currences. But  as  the  work  of  creative  imagina- 
tion, a  setting  or  background  for  the  rest  of  the 
drama,  it  gives  one  no  trouble  at  all — I  can  under- 
stand it.  But,  Mr.  Baldwin,  all  this  requires  a  dif- 
ferent view  of  the  inspiration  of  the  Scriptures 
from  what  we've  been  accustomed  to." 

"  Yes  ;  that  is  the  point  at  which  all  other  ques- 
tions converge — these  new  views  do  require  us  to 
reconstruct  our  beliefs  concerning  inspiration,  con- 
cerning the  way  the  Biblical  literature  came  into 
existence." 

"  I  think  I  am  coming  to  understand  your  posi- 
tion, Mr.  Baldwin.  To  tell  the  truth,"  lowering  his 
voice  to  a  confidential  whisper,  "for  years  I've 
been  growing  away  from  a  number  of  the  old 
traditional  beliefs.  A  man  who  reads  can't  well 
help  it ! " 

"  Father !  Are  you  talking  to  Mr.  Baldwin 
yet  ?  "  called  Mary  from  the  hall  where  she  was  as- 
sisting Miriam  to  put  on  her  wraps.  "  Father  does 
enjoy  your  husband  so  much,"  she  added  to 
Miriam. 


DAVID  BALDWIN  195 

"  I'm  so  glad  we  came.  We  always  have  such 
a  very  pleasant  time,"  answered  Miriam,  as  David 
at  last  joined  her  at  the  door. 

"  Come  back  again,  soon,"  called  Mrs.  Stewart, 
as  the  young  pastor  and  his  wife  stepped  out  into 
the  cool  night  air. 

David's  blues  had  vanished.  His  conversation 
had  its  old  hopeful  ring ;  he  was  his  normal  self 
again,  and  Miriam  was  glad.  She  was  early  be- 
coming an  adept  in  one  of  the  finest  of  the  arts — 
that  of  managing  a  husband  without  his  knowing 
it ;  for  David  would  surely  have  resented  his  wife's 
suggestion  to  take  tea  with  the  Stewarts',  if  he  had 
known  her  purpose. 

A  few  minutes'  brisk  walking  brought  them  to 
their  own  door. 

"  I  haven't  shared  my  secret  with  you  yet,  dear," 
said  Miriam  as  they  stepped  into  the  house. 

"  Forgive  me,  sweetheart ;  I  was  rude  in  asking 
about  it  in  the  first  place.  Don't  tell  me  at  all  un- 
less you  wish." 

"  Oh,  I'm  happy  to  share  it  with  you,  though  I 
did  enjoy  having  it  all  to  myself  for  a  while." 

"  What  a  mysterious  secret  it  must  be  1 " 

"  Oh,  it  don't  amount  to  much.  Yet  I've  gotten 
a  lot  of  pure  enjoyment  out  of  it  You'll  laugh,  I 
know  you  will,  when  I  tell  you  what  it  is,  what 
a  silly  little  secret  it  is.  But  I  won't  care  one 
bit  if  you  do.  David,  dear,  I've  saved  nearly  a 
dollar  by — by  not  eating  any  butter  for  some 
time." 


190  THE  MINISTRY  OF 

"  By  not  eating  any  butter !  You  did  this  to  get 
some  money  for  the  missionary  collection?" 

"  Yes,  dear.  There  didn't  seem  to  be  any  other 
way  to  get  it ;  and  I  didn't  mind  doing  it  at  all. 
Indeed,  I've  thoroughly  enjoyed  saving  the  money 
in  this  way." 

"  The  idea !  Who  ever  heard  of  such  a  thing  ! 
— the  minister's  wife  going  without  butter  in  order 
to  send  a  dollar  to  the  heathen !  Here  I've  been 
spreading  my  bread  just  as  plentifully  as  ever, 
while  you've  been  going  without." 

"  I  had  such  fun  in  keeping  you  in  the  dark ! 
More  than  once  I  thought  you  had  found  me  out  ; 
but  you  didn't.  You  were  just  as  good  and  stupid 
about  it  as  you  could  be." 

"  But  now  I'm  going  to  pay  you  back  with  in- 
terest. You'll  see  that  I'll  get  even  with  you,"  he 
laughed. 

"Even  with  me?" 

"Yes.  I'm  bound,  you  see,  to  make  up  for 
lost  time.  It  wouldn't  do  at  all  for  the  minister 
to  let  any  member  of  his  congregation  surpass 
him  in  self-denial !  Until  that  collection  is  taken 
I  shall  eat  neither  butter  nor — nor  mutton  chops 
nor " 

"  Why,  David,  we  haven't  had  mutton  chops 
since  we  commenced  keeping  house,"  protested 
Miriam. 

"  Well,  you  see,  sweetheart,  I  must  catch  up 
with  you.  I  must  deny  myself  of  more  than  you 
did,  since  you  took  advantage  of  me  by  getting 


DAVID  BALDWIN  197 

started  first  I'll  not  stop  by  simply  going  with- 
out butter.  What  I've  lost  in  time  must  be  made 
up  in  quantity.  Yes,  I  shall  add  mutton  chops. 
Please  don't  prepare  any  mutton  chops  for  me  till 
this  missionary  collection  is  taken." 

"  Anything  else  ?  "  asked  Mirian  laughing. 

"  I  shall  eat  no  butter,  nor  mutton  chops,  nor 
green  corn  on  the  cob,  nor " 

"  Green  corn  on  the  cob,  David,  in  April  ?  " 

"  Certainly,  my  dear,"  David  did  not  smile,  "  I 
shall  deny  myself  of  all  green  corn  on  the  cob  till 
after  that  collection.  I  shall  add  also  to  my  list  all 
pie — from  now  on  you'll  have  to  eat  your  pie 
alone,  for  I  solemnly  affirm  I  shall  not  touch  a  sin- 
gle piece." 

"  Nor  have  you  tasted  a  piece  of  pie  in  this 
house  since  we  came  to  live  in  it." 

"  Miriam,  dear,  any  one  can  easily  see  that  your 
statement  has  no  bearing  whatever  on  the  subject 
under  discussion.  I  repeat — it  is  my  determina- 
tion to  deny  myself  of  all  kinds  of  pie,  mince  pie, 
apple  pie,  lemon  pie,  pumpkin  pie,  peach  pie  and 
pie  by  whatever  name  it  may  be  known.  Now 
please  do  not  try  to  dissuade  me,  dear,  from  mak- 
ing this  sacrifice.  I  am  determined  to  do  it. 
Nothing  shall  stop  me.  I  must  get  even  with  you 
in  some  way.  Tea  and  coffee  shall  also  be  denied  ; 
white  bread,  hot  rolls,  doughnuts,  sausage,  sauer- 
kraut, lobsters,  venison,  fried  potatoes,  new  peas 
and — and — well,  I  think  that  will  do.  Please  re- 
member the  list  and  in  preparing  any  of  these 


198  THE  MINISTRY  OF 

things,  cook  only  what  you  may  want  for  yourself. 
I  shall  religiously  deny  myself  of  them  all." 

"  What  an  immense  sum  we'll  have  by  a  week 
from  Sunday  !  "  laughed  Miriam. 

When  the  treasurer  was  looking  over  the  en- 
velopes, transferring  to  his  church  account  book 
the  amounts  each  family  had  given,  he  paused  a 
moment  when  he  came  to  the  pastor's  envelope, 
wondering  not  so  much  at  the  smallness  of  the 
sum  as  why  it  had  been  made  one  dollar  and 
twenty-three  cents  rather  than  a  dollar  and  a 
quarter. 

"  Doubtless  the  pastor  forgot  to  put  in  the  other 
two  cents,"  said  he  to  his  wife. 

"  But,  Jacob,  it  reads  $1.23  on  the  outside  of  the 
envelope,"  said  Mrs.  Long.  "And  the  '3'  is 
made  very  plainly,  too." 

"That's  so!  I  wonder  what  could  be  the 
reason?  " 

"  Why,  Jacob,  it  must  be  that  they  give  a  cer- 
tain per  cent,  of  his  salary  to  foreign  missions,  and 
it  figured  out  just  that  amount." 

"  I  guess  you're  right,  Josephine.  I  guess 
you're  right,"  replied  the  deacon  writing  the 
figures  down  in  his  ledger.  "  I  don't  see  how  you 
can  account  for  it  in  any  other  way."  After  care- 
fully blotting  the  name  and  the  figures,  Deacon 
Long  turned  back  and  compared  this  amount 
with  what  the  previous  pastor  had  contributed  for 
foreign  missions  the  last  year  he  was  with  them. 

"  Brother  Baldwin  don't  seem  to  be  nearly  so 


DAVID  BALDWIN  199 

much  interested  in  missions  as  our  previous  pas- 
tor was,"  he  observed. 

"It's  no  more  than  you  can  expect,  Jacob,  from 
the  kind  of  sermons  he's  preaching." 

"I've  been  waiting  to  hear  him  preach  a  sermon 
on  missions,  but  he  never  has  yet." 

"  Perhaps  he  don't  believe  that  the  heathen  are 
all  doomed  to  suffer  in  the  bottomless  pit.  Can  it 
be  possible,  Jacob,  that  our  church  has  a  pastor 
who  believes  that  there  is  salvation  out  of  Christ 
— that  the  heathen  are  not  doomed  to  eternal 
punishment,  unless  snatched  as  brands  from  the 
fire?" 

"  Brother  Brand  and  I  are  both  waiting  to  hear 
what  he'll  say  on  this  subject.  Brand  suggests 
that  we  have  some  of  the  ladies  request  him  to 
preach  a  sermon  or  two  on  missions.  I  guess 
that'll  work  all  right.  We're  quietly  getting  his 
beliefs  on  as  many  subjects  as  we  can.  I've  got  a 
number  of  his  unsound  statements  already  in  my 
note-book,  but  Brand  says  we  must  keep  still  till 
we  get  considerable  more." 

"  It's  a  pity  Mr.  Baldwin  is  so  unorthodox ! 
Otherwise  he's  a  real  nice  man.  Sister  Hunter 
was  telling  me  the  other  day  how  much  she  en- 
joys the  pastor's  calls.  She  says  that  no  pastor 
we've  had  since  she  has  been  blind  has  been 
more  attentive  in  calling  on  her.  She  said  that 
Mr.  Baldwin's  conversations  with  her  were  so  help- 
ful and  his  prayers  helped  her  so  much.  I  can't 
understand,  Jacob,  how  it  is  that  a  pastor  who 


200  THE  MINISTRY  OF 

holds  such  unorthodox  beliefs  as  Mr.  Baldwin 
surely  does,  can  be  so  good  a  man  ?  " 

"  But  natural  goodness,  Josephine,  don't  count. 
Good  works  will  never  save  any  man.  Neither 
Brand  nor  I  have  any  fault  to  find  with  the  pastor's 
goodness.  It's  his  beliefs  that  are  the  important 
thing.  We  want  a  pastor  to  preach  sound  doc- 
trine. What's  the  use  of  having  a  denomination 
unless  we're  going  to  have  sound  doctrine 
preached  in  it,  I'd  like  to  know  ?  And  Brand 
thinks  just  as  I  do  about  it." 

"  Of  course,  that's  so.  It's  the  doctrine  that's 
the  important  thing." 

"Certainly,  Josephine." 

The  deacon  and  his  wife  worked  on  transcrib- 
ing the  accounts  to  the  church  ledger,  finding  a 
peculiar  joy  in  what  they  were  doing ;  for  was 
not  looking  after  the  collection  for  the  heathen  a 
kind  of  church  work  especially  pleasing  to  the 
Lord  ?  They  were  sure  it  was,  and  their  joy  in  it 
was  in  exact  ratio  to  the  strength  of  their  assur- 
ance. 

These  two  devout  souls  were  unconsciously 
playing  a  pathetic,  a  tragic  part  in  one  of  the 
great  dramas  of  life,  a  drama  which  in  varying 
degrees  of  intensity  has  continued  to  be  reenacted 
since  the  earliest  memory  of  the  race.  It  reached 
its  climax  once  with  Socrates  as  the  central  actor; 
at  other  times  and  in  other  places  it  has  come  to  a 
climax  with  such  central  figures  as  Isaiah,  Paul, 
Savonarola.  In  a  way  most  preeminent  it  reached 


DAVID  BALDWIN  201 

a  climax  with  the  Christ.  This  perpetually  react- 
ing drama  is  the  action  and  reaction  between  the 
leaven  of  new  ideas  and  the  lump  of  human  con- 
servatism. 

It  is  one  and  the  same  spirit  which  drank  the 
hemlock,  suffered  on  the  rack,  endured  the  fagots, 
or  died  on  the  cross.  It  is  one  and  the  same  spirit 
which  brewed  the  hemlock,  constructed  the  rack, 
piled  the  fagots,  erected  the  cross.  Not  that  these 
things  were  done  necessarily  by  bad  men — far 
from  it.  In  perhaps  every  instance  they  believed 
they  were  serving  their  day  and  generation  to  the 
best  of  their  ability.  Such  is  the  tragedy,  such  is 
the  pathos  in  the  problem  of  the  lump  and  the 
leaven  1 


XIV 

IT  was  one  of  those  perfect  days  in  the  latter 
part  of  August,  made  especially  for  people 
who  wish  to  spend  the  time  out  of  doors  lying 
under  the  trees,  drinking  in  that  inspiration  which 
comes  from  first  hand  contact  with  the  chirp  of 
birds,  with  the  soft  music  of  running  water,  with 
the  lapping  of  the  waves,  with  the  varied  sounds 
of  insect  activity,  with  the  open  sky  peeping  down 
through  the  trees ;  a  day  neither  too  warm  nor  too 
cool,  with  a  few  clouds  but  without  the  first  sug- 
gestion of  rain.  Such  was  the  day — only  better 
— on  which  came  the  first  anniversary  of  David 
and  Miriam's  marriage. 

With  a  basket  packed  full  of  lunch,  leaving  only 
room  enough  for  a  couple  of  magazines  and  a 
book  to  be  tucked  in  at  the  side,  these  two  mar- 
ried lovers  mounted  their  wheels  about  ten-thirty 
in  the  forenoon  and  rode  out  of  town,  up  past  the 
university  grounds,  and  soon  came  to  the  drive 
around  the  lake.  This  driveway  was  smooth  and 
well  kept.  Now  the  cyclists  came  to  a  sharp  turn 
and  a  bit  of  a  hill  which  was  easily  ridden  without 
dismounting ;  they  passed  through  a  cluster  of  pine, 
and  down  a  gentle  slope  along  which  the  wheels 
sped  like  things  endowed  with  life.  Farther  on 
the  drive  led  for  an  eighth  of  a  mile  over  the  neck 

202 


DAVID  BALDWIN  203 

of  a  marsh,  with  tall  reeds  and  marsh  hay  on  either 
side. 

Emerging  from  the  marsh,  they  ascended  a 
gradual  slope,  and  another  half  of  a  mile  brought 
them  to  the  foot  of  a  hill  too  steep  and  too  long  to 
ride ;  dismounting,  they  walked  to  the  top,  which 
was  some  distance  from  the  lake.  A  fringe  of 
trees  entirely  shut  the  lake  from  view.  Mounting 
their  wheels  again  the  cyclists  coasted  along  a 
delightful  declivity  not  too  steep,  yet  with  down 
grade  sufficient  to  carry  them  swiftly  along  past 
the  wild  cherry  trees  and  the  old  rail  fence,  gath- 
ering momentum  which  would  carry  them  far  up 
the  approaching  ascent. 

The  top  of  this  ascent  being  gained,  the  drive 
turned  abruptly  to  the  right ;  they  rode  on  a  short 
distance,  when,  suddenly,  the  thin  fringe  of  trees 
gave  way  and  the  lake  lay  before  them. 

"  Isn't  it  grand  ! "  Miriam  exclaimed. 

Two  or  three  miles  of  water  lay  between  them 
and  the  city  on  the  other  side,  with  its  church 
spires  and  tall  university  buildings  looming  up  in 
contrast  to  the  less  pretentious  structures.  Viewed 
across  the  water  the  scene  was  most  beautiful. 

"  Yes,"  answered  David,  "  the  suddenness  with 
which  the  view  of  the  lake  breaks  upon  one,  must 
have  something  to  do  with  it." 

Slowly  they  rode  along  this  open  space,  and 
after  a  few  minutes  came  into  another  bit  of  wood- 
land, the  road  winding  this  way  and  that,  up  hill 
and  down,  now  wholly  shaded  by  trees  arching 


204:  THE  MINISTRY  OF 

from  either  side,  now  with  the  blue  of  the  sky 
peeping  down  through  the  overhanging  branches, 
until  it  passed  over  a  rustic  bridge,  their  proposed 
destination. 

The  approach  to  this  rustic  bridge  is  one  of  the 
most  charming  bits  of  scenery  to  be  found  in  many 
a  day's  travel.  It  breaks  upon  you  as  a  surprise 
when  you  come  to  it  for  the  first  time,  and  addi- 
tional visits  only  add  to  your  first  impression.  As 
you  ride  out  of  a  stretch  of  quite  dense  woods  the 
drive  makes  a  graceful  curve  and  brings  you  at 
once  to  an  opening  in  the  foliage,  caused  by  a  deep 
ravine,  over  which  this  rustic  bridge  several  yards 
in  length  joins  bank  to  bank.  At  the  farther  end 
of  the  bridge  the  driveway  is  immediately  lost  to 
view  owing  to  a  decided  bend  to  the  right,  giving 
to  the  scene,  in  an  unusual  degree,  the  effect  of 
completeness  joined  with  mystery. 

Dismounting  on  this  bridge,  David  and  Miriam, 
after  enjoying  the  view  for  a  few  minutes,  retraced 
their  way  to  the  side  of  the  ravine  they  had 
just  approached,  and  turned  off  into  the  trees. 
The  shore  of  the  lake  was  a  few  rods  down  the 
slope. 

A  little  more  than  half  way  from  the  drive  to  the 
lake  was  the  spot  they  were  seeking.  Here  was 
shade  or  sunshine  as  one  wished,  with  soft  velvety 
carpet  to  lie  upon  ;  to  the  left  was  the  ravine  with 
its  low  music  of  running  water  keeping  time  to  the 
swish  of  the  waves  a  little  distance  below.  On  all 
sides  the  woods  were  untouched,  while  through 


DAVID  BALDWIN  205 

the  trees  came  glimpses  of  the  lake  and  of  the  city 
beyond. 

The  hour  before  luncheon  passed  rapidly  as 
Miriam  read  aloud  the  closing  chapters  of  "  The 
Reign  of  Law,"  by  one  of  their  favorite  authors. 

"I  do  not  like  the  way  it  closes,"  said  David. 
"It  is  a  masterful  treatment  of  a  great  problem ; 
but  to  my  mind  the  story  in  its  closing  is  not  true 
to  the  situation." 

"  You  mean  that  the  young  man  shouldn't  have 
lost  his  religion?" 

"  Certainly.  Our  author  seems  to  indicate  that 
the  natural  transition,  in  the  instance  he  has  por- 
trayed so  well  up  to  a  certain  point,  is  from  a  be- 
lief in  a  personal  Deity  to  a  belief  in  the  reign  of 
Law.  I  do  not  think  his  conclusion  is  true  to  the 
situation." 

"  Doubtless  it  is  true  in  the  experience  of  many 
a  student — this  transition  indicated  by  the  author." 

"  Yes,  doubtless ;  and  it  might  have  been  true 
in  my  case  had  it  not  been  for  one  of  my  professors. 
This  makes  me  all  the  more  confident  that  the 
struggle  ought  not  to  close  as  the  author  ends  it. 
I  have  half  a  mind  to  write  a  book  and  set  forth 
the  matter  as  I  know  it  from  experience." 

"Why  don't  you?" 

"  Why  don't  I  write  a  book  ?  "  David  laughed 
merrily  as  he  repeated  the  question.  "Why — 
why,  perhaps  I  may  some  day — who  knows? 
There  are  enough  things  connected  with  my  pas- 
torate already  to  make  an  interesting  book,  if  only 


206  THE  MINISTRY  OF 

I  could  get  them  in  shape.  Think  of  being  called 
to  a  church  with  the  stipulation  that  I  must  come 
as  a  married  man  ! " 

"  But,  David,  you  wouldn't  put  things  that  have 
actually  happened  in  your  book,  would  you  ?  " 

"  Why  not  ?  I've  read  of  many  writers  doing 
it.  The  best  fiction  doubtless  has  a  basis  of  fact 
in  it" 

"  I  wonder  how  an  author  prepares  to  write  a 
work  of  fiction?  Does  he  know  all  about  the 
story  before  he  begins,  or  does  he  work  it  out  as 
he  goes  along  ?  " 

"  Oh,  I  suppose  some  do  one  way  and  some 
another.  In  twenty-five  years  from  now  I  may 
be  able  to  tell  you  more  about  it" 

Both  laughed. 

"  At  the  present  moment,  however,"  continued 
David,  "  I  prefer  to  discuss  lunch  ; — my !  it's  al- 
most one  o'clock." 

While  they  were  eating,  a  little  chipmunk  came 
out  of  his  hole  near  by,  and  after  watching  them 
a  moment  with  a  sort  of  nervous  curiosity,  disap- 
peared and  soon  came  to  the  surface  again  ac- 
companied by  its  mate.  The  two  of  them,  after 
making  sundry  observations,  began  to  draw  a  little 
closer  to  the  strangers,  but  at  the  least  sudden 
move  on  their  part,  the  little  creatures  would 
scamper  back  into  their  hole.  On  finding  they 
were  not  pursued,  they  would  soon  reappear. 
David  threw  them  some  crumbs ;  for  which  the 
chipmunks  seemed  to  say  "  Thank  you  "  as  they 


DAVID  BALDWIN  207 

packed  these  dainty  morsels  away  in  their  capa- 
cious cheeks. 

"  I  suppose  these  chipmunks  have  their  own 
problems  to  meet  and  solve,  just  like  human 
beings  have  theirs." 

"  Without  doubt  they  do — in  their  own  way," 
answered  Miriam. 

"  I  hope  they  are  able  to  solve  their  problems 
better  than  some  of  us  do  ours,"  continued  David. 
"  You  remember,  Miriam,  how  confident  I  was 
just  a  year  ago  that  we  could  save,  during  our 
first  year,  two  hundred  dollars  to  pay  off  that 
school  debt  ?  Well,  here  we  are  at  the  end  of  the 
year  without  a  single  cent  ahead." 

"  But,  dear,  never  mind  that.  We've  done  the 
very  best  we  could.  There's  no  hurry.  We've 
had  so  many  necessary  things  to  buy  this  year. 
But  I  hope  that  during  the  coming  year  we  may 
be  able  to  reduce  my  school  indebtedness  some — 
say  fifty  or  a  hundred  dollars." 

"  I  hope  we  may,  sweetheart ;  but  if  we  carry 
out  certain  plans  we  have  in  mind,  it  will  crowd  us 
pretty  close  to  save  very  much." 

"  You  mean  our  plans  concerning  a  baby  ?  " 

"Yes." 

"  But  the  necessary  expense  need  not  be  very 
much,  dear ;  and  I  do  hope  we  shall  not  have  to 
wait  much  longer.  A  home  is  incomplete  without 
children." 

"  As  to  the  expense,  I  suppose  one  can  never  tell 
what  it  will  amount  to." 


208  THE  MINISTRY  OF 

"  No,  I  had  in  mind  the  preparations.  We  need 
not  get  anything  expensive.  A  very  simple  outfit 
would  do.  And  as  for  the  other  expenses,  I  am  so 
well  and  strong — I'm  sure  the  expense  wouldn't 
be  so  very  much.  Of  course,  it's  best  that  we've 
waited  this  long;  but  now  we're  getting  several 
of  our  things  paid  for,  and — and,  David,  you  can 
never  know  how  my  heart  hungers  for  a  little  baby 
all  our  very  own." 

"But  we  must  consider  the  matter  very  care- 
fully, sweetheart.  To  my  mind  it  is  a  crime  to 
summon  a  young  life  into  this  world  without 
planning  for  its  needs.  The  little  folks  have  noth- 
ing to  say  in  the  matter.  I  sometimes  wish  they 
had.  How  many  children  out  of  every  hundred 
would  respond  if  they  had  their  say  in  deciding 
whether  they  would  come  ?  Think  of  the  kind  of 
welcome  many  of  them  get  1 " 

"But  don't  you  think,  dear,  that  more  people 
are  coming  every  year  to  think  and  plan  over 
these  matters?  Parenthood  is  the  most  sacred 
function  of  life.  It  seems  to  me  almost  incredible 
that  any  one  could  incur  its  responsibilities 
thoughtlessly." 

"  Yes,  I  think  more  people  are  giving  to  parent- 
hood the  serious  thought  it  deserves ;  but  at  the 
same  time  there  are  any  number  of  intelligent  peo- 
ple who  plan  as  to  times  and  seasons  and  proper 
conditions  for  the  propagation  of  horses  and  cattle 
and  dogs,  and  yet  give  no  thought  to  these  things 
when  their  own  kind  is  concerned." 


DAVID  BALDWIN  209 

"  They  have  never  been  awakened  to  the  im- 
portance of  such  planning,"  said  Miriam.  "  Most 
people  seem  to  take  the  coming  of  children  as  a 
matter  wholly  beyond  their  control.  How  my 
heart  aches  for  women  who  have  motherhood 
thrust  upon  them  time  after  time  without  having 
any  choice  in  the  matter  at  all." 

"Yes.  And  what  a  heritage  such  children  come 
into.  The  mother's  thought  and  state  of  mind 
have  such  an  influence  in  forming  the  disposition 
and  temperament  of  the  child." 

"  As  many  a  mother  has  learned  when  it  was 
too  late.  This  must  be  one  of  the  saddest  experi- 
ences of  life." 

"  How  ?  "  asked  David. 

"  Why,  for  a  mother  to  realize  that  certain  un- 
desirable traits  in  the  disposition  of  her  child  were 
due  to  her  own  state  of  mind  when  she  held  the 
young  life  near  her  heart.  I  know  of  one  or  two 
cases  like  that.  What  wouldn't  a  mother  give  to 
be  able  to  undo  what  is  then  too  late  to  change  ?  " 

"  But  why  didn't  some  one  tell  them — their  own 
mothers — before  they  had  incurred  parenthood  ? 
Here  is  something  I  cannot  understand.  Parents 
let  their  sons  and  daughters  grow  up  in  ignorance 
of  many  things  they  should  know,  and  for  the  lack 
of  such  knowledge  irreparable  blunders  and  even 
crimes  are  committed,  which  would  have  been 
avoided  if  parents  had  done  their  duty  by  their 
children." 

"I  cannot  understand  it  either,"  said  Miriam, as 


210  THE  MINISTRY  OF 

she  finished  packing  away  the  remains  of  their 
lunch.  "  Parents  seem  to  enter  into  a  conspiracy 
to  keep  their  children  from  knowing  many  things 
concerning  their  own  bodies  which  they  ought  to 
know." 

"  Yes  ;  a  false  modesty  or  a  desire  to  keep  chil- 
dren from  knowing  too  much  of  the  mysteries  of 
life,  or  an  utter  indifference  is  at  the  bottom  of  it 
all.  I've  been  thinking,  Miriam, — how  would  it 
do  for  me  to  give  a  series  of  Sunday  evening  talks 
on  some  of  these  topics — to  give  them  in  the  place 
of  the  evening  sermon  ?  " 

"  That  would  be  fine  1  I  hope  you  will  do  it, 
David." 

"  Well,  I've  had  it  in  mind  as  a  possibility  for 
several  weeks.  There's  need  enough  of  some  one 
undertaking  it,  and  I  have  half  a  mind  to  try." 

During  the  weeks  following  this  conversation 
David  could  not  get  away  from  the  conviction 
that  he  should  give  his  proposed  series  of  Sunday 
evening  talks.  Gathering  a  few  books  about  him 
he  set  to  work.  The  task  was  no  easy  one,  but  he 
brought  to  it  a  high  and  holy  motive  which  sus- 
tained him  more  than  once  when  he  was  about  to 
give  the  whole  matter  up,  owing  to  the  difficulty 
he  had  in  developing  his  subjects  in  a  manner 
suitable  for  public  presentation. 

From  September  to  January  he  gave  odd  mo- 
ments to  this  work,  all  the  time  his  conviction 
growing  stronger  that  he  was  engaged  in  a  work 


DAVID  BALDWIN  211 

that  should  be  done.  On  the  Sunday  morning 
after  New  Year's,  David  announced  from  the  pul- 
pit his  intention  of  beginning  that  evening  a  series 
of  sermon-lectures  on  the  general  topic  of  "  Getting 
Acquainted  with  Ourselves." 

"  For  some  time,"  he  went  on,  "  I  have  been  im- 
pressed with  the  fact  that  on  some  of  the  most 
vital  questions  of  life  there  is  little  or  nothing  said 
in  the  form  of  public  instruction ;  and  in  private 
there  is,  I  fear,  only  a  very  little  more  attention 
given  to  these  same  vital  considerations. 

"  It  is  not  surprising,  therefore,"  he  continued, 
as  the  auditorium  grew  breathlessly  still,  "it  is 
not  surprising,  in  view  of  the  lack  of  information 
given  to  young  people  on  some  topics  concerning 
which  they  ought  not  to  remain  in  ignorance,  that 
the  period  of  youth  is  filled  with  needless  anxieties 
and  questionings  and  not  infrequently  with  mis- 
steps which  no  amount  of  fervent  repentance  can 
retrace." 

The  silence  of  the  church  was  oppressive  as  the 
pastor  paused  to  take  a  deep  breath  before  con- 
tinuing. His  face  was  kindled  with  a  terrible 
earnestness. 

"  Only  last  week,"  said  he,  speaking  in  a  low 
voice  but  which  could  be  heard  in  all  parts  of  the 
room,  "  I  was  talking  with  a  young  man,  one  of 
the  students  in  the  university,  who  told  me  with 
tears  in  his  eyes  that  he  would  gladly  give  the 
next  ten  years  of  his  life,  if  he  could  but  go  back 
to  the  age  of  twelve  and  live  his  life  over  again. 


212  THE  MINISTRY  OF 

Till  my  talk  with  him,  I  was  not  absolutely  certain 
that  I  could  bring  myself  to  deliver  the  addresses 
on  which  I  had  been  studying  for  some  time.  But 
after  that  conversation  I  determined  to  wait  no 
longer ;  for  I  am  convinced  that  the  case  of  the 
young  man  to  whom  I  have  alluded  is  no  solitary 
instance :  all  about  us  are  young  men  who,  through 
lack  of  suitable  instruction  and  guidance,  have 
been  led  into  a  bondage  whose  tyranny  is  equaled 
only  by  its  pernicious  effects.  Oh,  for  some  one 
to  guide  the  course  of  life  as  the  mysterious 
powers  of  sex  are  awakening  ! 

"  Not  only  with  boys  is  there,  the  need  of  in- 
struction and  guidance  as  they  pass  into  a  con- 
sciousness of  their  larger  selves;  the  need  is 
equally  imperative  in  the  case  of  the  other  half  of 
the  human  family.  What  anxieties,  what  mis- 
takes, what  missteps  could  have  been  avoided,  if 
mothers  had  only  shared  with  their  daughters 
such  knowledge  as  they  possess ! 

"If  children  are  not  instructed  chastely  and 
lovingly  as  to  the  nature  and  use  of  the  functions 
of  sex,  they  will  get  a  vulgar  knowledge  of  these 
things  from  other  children  at  school  or  on  the 
street.  And  few  things  can  be  more  pernicious  to 
a  child  than  a  perverted  idea  of  the  meaning  of 
sex.  Ideas  control  action,  and  the  safest  way  to 
keep  a  child  from  having  a  wrong  idea  or  con- 
ception is  to  give  him  the  conception  you  would 
like  for  him  to  hold.  My  friends,  ignorance  is  a 
dangerous  safeguard  to  virtue. 


DAVID  BALDWIN  213 

"As  one  called  and  set  apart  to  guide  and  in- 
struct and  inspire  to  right  ways  of  thinking  and 
doing,  I  feel  strongly  moved  toward  doing  what- 
ever I  may  be  able  to  arouse  the  members  of  this 
congregation  to  an  adequate  appreciation  of  the 
problems  lying  so  near  the  heart  of  every  home. 
Therefore,"  he  concluded,  "instead  of  the  usual 
evening  service  which  some  of  you  feel  called 
upon  to  support  by  your  presence  through,  I  doubt 
not,  a  sense  of  duty,  we  shall  have  a  service  in 
which  I  shall  attempt  to  discuss  some  phase  of 
the  problem  of  sex.  For  around  this  problem 
cluster  nearly  all  the  other  great  and  vital  problems 
of  life." 

When  David  Baldwin  entered  his  pulpit  that 
evening  he  found  a  crowded  house  awaiting  him, 
a  circumstance  very  unusual,  as  Tioga  was  pre- 
eminently a  place  of  morning  audiences. 

"  In  no  language  is  there  a  word  filled  fuller  of 
mystery  than  is  the  word  life"  began  the  preacher 
as  every  face  turned  toward  his.  "  Life — we  talk 
of  it  as  if  we  knew  what  it  was,  what  it  is,  yet  we 
are  unable  to  define  it ;  perhaps  we  are  as  far  away 
from  an  adequate  definition  of  life  to-day  as  were 
the  ancients  before  us.  Like  electricity,  we  may 
know  considerable  about  it,  but  the  reality  itself 
eludes  our  search. 

"  In  plant,  in  animal,  in  man  we  recognize  a  dif- 
ference when  there  is  life  and  when  life  is  gone ; 
but  just  what  that  difference  is  we  cannot  tell. 


214:  THE  MINISTRY  OF 

Those  who  have  given  the  subject  prolonged  at- 
tention and  study,  and  who  are  thus  qualified  to 
speak  with  authority,  tell  us  that  wherever  found, 
whether  in  animal  or  plant  or  man,  life  is  essen- 
tially the  same,  differing  in  quality  and  quantity, 
yet  retaining  so  much  in  common,  we  may  say 
that  all  life  is  related ;  that  the  life  of  the  universe 
is  essentially  one  thing — plants,  animals  and  the 
human  race  being  but  different  embodiments,  dif- 
ferent manifestations  of  this  life. 

"  There  are  very  good  reasons,"  continued  the 
speaker,  "  reasons  which  I  cannot  go  into  now,  as 
it  would  take  me  too  far  afield  from  my  purpose, 
but  which  are  open  to  any  one  wishing  to  investi- 
gate the  subject — there  are  very  good  reasons  for 
believing  that  life  started  on  this  planet  in  its 
lowest  forms  and  that  through  the  ages  there  has 
been  a  gradual  ascent,  bringing  into  existence  the 
whole  range  of  plant  and  animal  families,  and  cul- 
minating in  the  form  known  as  the  human  race. 
No  more  fascinating  story  exists  than  the  broken 
record  of  the  rise  of  life  from  lower  to  higher 
forms.  In  this  ascent  many  of  the  steps  are  now 
lost  to  our  view,  but  enough  do  exist  to  indicate 
more  or  less  clearly  the  path  along  which  the  pro- 
cession marched. 

"  Of  all  the  many  mysterious  things  connected 
with  life,  there  is  perhaps  none  more  profoundly 
mysterious  than  its  transmission  ;  whether  it  be  in 
plants  or  animals  or  man,  the  passing  on  of  life 
from  one  generation  to  the  next,  is  wholly  beyond 


DAVID  BALDWIN  215 

our  comprehension.  Like  other  vital  processes, 
this  also  cannot  be  explained :  it  can  only  be  de- 
scribed. And  all  life  if  left  to  its  natural  course 
tends  to  perpetuate  itself. 

"  In  some  of  the  lower  animal  forms  life  is  per- 
petuated by  segmentation — the  parent  simply 
dividing  itself  into  various  segments  or  offspring. 
Some  plants  are  endowed  with  the  same  property  : 
those  that  can  be  propagated  by  cutting  off  a  piece 
of  the  parent  plant.  Leaving  out  of  consideration 
one  or  two  other  methods,  the  one  most  commonly 
brought  to  our  notice  is  the  reproduction  of  life 
through  the  seed  or  the  egg.  Now  it  is  a  matter 
of  observation  and  a  fact  taught  in  every  school 
botany,  that  in  plants  which  transmit  their  life 
through  seeds  there  must  be  a  mingling  of  pollen 
in  the  blossom  or  there  will  be  no  seed.  What 
does  this  mean  ?  It  means  that  here  we  have  the 
beginnings  of  sex :  that  in  the  blossoms  of  plants 
there  are  both  the  male  and  the  female  elements 
and  that  these  two  elements  must  mingle  if  there 
is  to  be  fruit  or  seed." 

The  preacher  thus  led  his  audience  away  from 
any  morbid  or  unchaste  curiosity  which  may  have 
impelled  certain  persons  to  desire  to  hear  what  he 
had  to  say.  He  sought  to  create  the  scientific  at- 
titude or  atmosphere,  and  in  a  fair  measure  he  ac- 
complished his  purpose.  The  rest  of  the  half  hour 
was  given  to  setting  forth  the  different  methods  by 
which  life  in  the  animal  kingdom  is  passed  on 
from  parent  to  offspring,  dwelling  at  length  on  the 


216  THE  MINISTRY  OF 

preparation  sometimes  made  by  insects  for  off- 
spring they  were  destined  never  to  see,  as  their 
own  death  came  before  their  eggs  were  hatched. 

"  Next  Sunday  evening,"  said  David  Baldwin  in 
concluding  his  discourse,  "  I  shall  speak  further  on 
this  same  topic — The  transmission  of  life — with 
especial  reference  to  some  facts  concerning  the 
possibilities  of  pre-natal  culture,  facts  which  all 
should  carefully  ponder  who  expect  to  invite  the 
responsibilities  of  parenthood. " 

After  the  dismissal  of  the  audience,  Dr.  Ell  wood, 
head  of  the  biological  department  of  the  univer- 
sity, waited  to  greet  Baldwin. 

"  I  wish  to  thank  you,  Mr.  Baldwin,"  said  he, 
shaking  the  preacher's  hand  warmly,  "  for  the  dis- 
course this  evening,  and  more  especially  for  what 
is  promised  to  follow.  Often,  very  often  indeed,  I 
have  wished  to  do  what  you  are  now  undertak- 
ing ;  but  the  right  opportunity  in  my  case  never 
seemed  to  appear.  I  most  heartily  approve  of 
your  purpose,  and  in  my  judgment  you  are  doing 
a  valuable  service  to  the  community." 

"  Thank  you,  Dr.  Ell  wood ;  your  approval  is 
worth  very  much  to  me.  I  am  aware  that  I  am 
laying  myself  open  to  all  kinds  of  criticism." 

"  Quite  possible,"  replied  Dr.  Ellwood.  "  Who- 
ever has  dared  to  do  any  new  or  neglected  duty 
has  had  plenty  of  people  to  carp  at  him.  But 
criticism  should  not  deter  you  from  going  on." 

Mr.  Strong  interrupted  them. 

"That  was  fine,  Dominie,"  said  he,  using  a  term 


DAVID  BALDWIN  217 

of  address  with  which  he  usually  accosted  Mr. 
Baldwin.  "  It  was  worth  any  ten  evening  sermons 
we've  had  in  a  long  time.  Let  the  good  work  go 
on  I'1 

"  I  was  so  interested ! "  added  Mrs.  Strong, 
touching  her  pastor  on  the  arm.  "  Why  shouldn't 
a  pastor  discuss  these  topics  ?  Do  they  not  lie  at 
the  centre  of  things  ?  I  can't  tell  how  many  times 
I've  come  to  church  of  a  Sunday  evening  just  to 
help  sustain  the  service,  as  you  said.  But  now  I 
shall  come  because  I  want  inspiration  and  guidance 
to  aid  me  in  doing  a  parent's  duty  to  my  chil- 
dren." 

"Thank  you  very  much.  I  only  hope  that 
others  will  feel  in  sympathy  with  what  I'm  trying 
to  do." 

"  You  mean  the  Triumvirate  ?  " 

"Yes." 

"Of  course  there  will  be  objections  in  that 
quarter :  there  always  are  objections  from  some, 
whenever  anything  new  appears.  But  you  mustn't 
mind.  The  Master  had  just  such  men  to  contend 
with,  didn't  he?", 

In  another  part  of  the  room  two  of  the  "  trium- 
virs " — Deacon  Long  and  Mr.  Brand — were  stand- 
ing together.  Mr.  Driver  rarely  attended  church 
of  an  evening. 

"Well,  what  did  you  think  of  it?"  asked  the 
deacon,  confidentially. 

"  A  fine  audience,"  replied  the  other,  keeping 
the  deacon  in  suspense. 


218  DAVID  BALDWIN 

"  But  his  discourse  ?  " 

"Well,  if  that's  what  he  calls  preaching  the 
gospel,  I  would  like  to  hear  what  the  other  thing 
would  be." 

"  That's  what  I  thought— that's  what  I  thought, 
Brother  Brand.  Did  you  detect  anything  espe- 
cially unsound  in  his  discourse  ?  " 

The  reply  was  lost  as  they  passed  out  into  the 
street. 


XV 


ON  the  following  Tuesday  afternoon  as 
David  Baldwin  was  leaving  the  Uni- 
versity library,  he  met  Dr.  Ell  wood,  and 
the  two  men  walked  up  the  avenue  together. 

"I've  been  thinking,  Mr.  Baldwin,  of  transfer- 
ring my  membership  to  your  church,"  said  Dr. 
Ellwood,  during  the  conversation,  as  they  walked 
briskly  along,  facing  a  stiff  breeze  from  the  lake. 

"  Indeed  ?  I  am  glad  to  hear  it.  You  and  Mrs. 
Ellwood  will  be  most  heartily  welcome.  Our 
church  has  altogether  too  few  of  the  university 
families." 

"Yes,  too  few;  but  it's  not  their  fault.  When 
we  came  here  five  years  ago  I  attended  the  First 
Church  several  Sundays ;  both  Mrs.  Ellwood  and 
myself  belonged  to  your  denomination.  But  we 
soon  stopped  going ;  we  found  nothing  there  for  a 
modern  man — instead,  the  emphasis,  the  point  of 
view,  the  conceptions  of  life  and  duty,  the  attitude 
toward  the  Bible,  were  all  of  a  century  ago.  I 
hold  that  it's  a  man's  duty  to  go  to  church  where 
he  can  get  something  that  feeds  him ;  so  after  a 
time  we  became  members  of  Dr.  Crockett's  church. 
Here  we  have  found  a  very  congenial  church  home ; 
but  now — though  denominationalism  means  very 
little  to  me — I  would  like  to  have  some  little  part, 

219 


220  THE  MINISTRY  OF 

Mr.  Baldwin,  in  helping  on  what  you  are  under- 
taking to  do  here  in  Tioga." 

"  Thank  you,  Dr.  Ellwood." 

"  Yours,  I  fancy,  is  not  the  easiest  pastorate  in 
the  world.  Of  course,  nearly  everybody  knows 
that  the  First  Church  here  is  run  practically  by 
two  or  three  men.  Some  of  us  are  watching  with 
interest  to  see  how  far  they  will  permit  the  new 
leaven  to  do  its  work.  Now,  about  transferring 
our  membership  :  if  you  will  step  into  the  house  a 
moment,  I  will  hand  you  our  letters;  I  called  for 
them  at  our  last  midweek  service." 

Dr.  Ell  wood's  study  was  generously  filled  with 
books  on  two  sides  of  the  room,  the  cases  reach- 
ing almost  to  the  ceiling. 

"  Just  make  yourself  at  home  a  moment  or  two. 
I  find  that  I  have  left  the  envelope  containing  those 
letters  in  the  pocket  of  another  coat.  Excuse  me, 
and  I  will  get  it" 

David  Baldwin  seated  himself  near  the  open 
grate ;  but  as  his  eyes  wandered  over  the  titles  of 
the  volumes  in  the  case,  at  his  left,  he  arose,  his 
interest  growing  as  he  read  shelf  after  shelf. 

"I  see  that  you  are  interested  in  comparative 
religion,"  said  he,  as  Dr.  Ellwood  returned  to  the 
room.  "  I  haven't  seen  so  complete  a  collection 
of  books  on  Comparative  Religion  since  I  left  the 
University." 

"Yes,  the  subject  interests  me.  Several  years 
ago  I  devoured  everything  I  could  find  along  that 
line." 


DAVID  BALDWIN  221 

"Indeed?" 

"  I  was  searching  for  light.  It  was  becoming 
impossible  for  me  to  hold  the  religious  conceptions 
upon  which  I  had  been  brought  up.  The  study  of 
those  works  enabled  me  to  find  myself,  to  under- 
stand that  religion  is  one  thing " 

"  A  life." 

"  — —and  our  beliefs,  quite  another." 

"How  well  I  remember  the  day  when  that  dif- 
ference was  made  clear  to  me." 

"I  can  believe  it.  In  my  case  it  dawned 
gradually ;  but  the  relief  was  none  the  less  great. 
Here  are  our  church  letters,  Mr.  Baldwin." 

"  Thank  you.  We  will  act  on  them  this  week. 
Next  Sunday  is  our  regular  time  for  communion 
and  you  can  receive  the  hand  of  fellowship  then. 
I  want  you  to  feel  at  home  among  us  at  once." 

As  David  walked  on  home  he  felt  that  the  tide 
was  turning  in  his  favor.  The  Ellwoods  were 
considered  among  the  most  cultured  families  of 
the  city.  Accordingly,  it  was  with  no  small  ela- 
tion that  he  presented  their  letters  at  the  close  of 
the  midweek  service  on  the  following  Thursday 
evening. 

"  I  have  here,"  said  he,  "  the  church  letters  of 
Dr.  and  Mrs.  Ellwood,  who  desire  to  become 
members  with  us." 

That  Dr.  Ellwood  had  found  the  preaching  in 
Dr.  Crockett's  church  more  to  his  liking,  though 
he  was  denominationally  allied  to  the  First  Church, 
was  generally  known ;  but  for  several  Sundays 


222  THE  MINISTRY  OF 

he  had  been  one  of  Baldwin's  most  attentive 
hearers. 

A  silence  settled  over  the  little  company  as  the 
pastor  made  his  announcement. 

"What  is  your  pleasure ?"  he  asked,  looking 
over  the  audience.  Any  one  could  see  that  he 
was  pleased  to  be  able  to  present  these  names  for 
membership. 

At  once  Deacon  Long  rose  to  his  feet. 

" Before  a  motion  is  made,"  said  he,  "I  wish  to 
ask  a  question." 

"Very  well." 

"Are  these  letters  of  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Ellwood 
granted  by  a  sister  church  of  our  denomination,  in 
good  and  regular  standing?"  All  eyes  were 
riveted  on  the  deacon  whose  attitude  was  that  of 
a  prosecuting  attorney  questioning  a  criminal. 

"  No,"  answered  the  pastor.  "  Dr.  and  Mrs. 
Ellwood  come  to  us  with  letters  granted  by  Dr. 
Crockett's  churoh  of  this  city." 

The  deacon's  eyes  snapped  as  he  answered 
savagely : 

"  Then  we  cannot  act  upon  them.  Churches  of 
our  denomination  receive  letters  only  from  sister 
churches  in  good  and  regular  standing  in  the 
denomination." 

Mr.  Strong  was  instantly  on  his  feet. 

"  But  I  see  no  reason,  Brother  Pastor,  why  the 
First  Church  should  not  receive  letters  from  other 
churches." 

"That's  what  I   say!"  exclaimed  Mrs.  Terry, 


DAVID  BALDWIN  223 

without  rising.  "  To  think  of  our  hesitating  to  re- 
ceive Dr.  and  Mrs.  Ellwood  1 " 

"  It's  unchristian  !  "  exclaimed  Mrs.  Strong. 

"Brother  Pastor," — it  was  Mr.  Brand  who  had 
risen  and  was  addressing  the  chair, — "as  every 
member  of  our  denomination  ought  to  know,  it  is 
a  settled  practice  with  us  to  receive  letters  only 
from  churches  of  like  faith  and  order.  To  deviate 
from  this  practice  would  result  in  all  sorts  of  irreg- 
ularities. We  believe  in  certain  definite  things. 
Now,  if  we  accept  letters  from  other  denomina- 
tions, we  thereby  acknowledge  the  validity  of  their 
creeds,  and  from  that  moment  we  cease  to  be  a 
regular  denominational  church." 

"  Brother  Chairman,"  said  Mrs.  Wood,  as  she 
rose  with  quiet  dignity  and  waited  an  instant  for 
the  pastor's  recognition,  "I  am  in  favor  of  re- 
ceiving these  letters.  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Ellwood  are 
well  known  to  each  of  us.  Their  excellent  Chris- 
tian character  is  beyond  question.  Would  they  be 
any  better  if  they  came  to  us  with  letters  from  a 
church  of  our  own  denomination  ?  I  for  one  care 
not  what  our  past  usage  has  been.  If  it  is  not 
broad  and  Christlike, — let's  change  it.  By  all 
means  let  us  not  place  any  obstacle  in  the  way  of 
the  Ellwoods  becoming  members  with  us ! " 

Immediately  Deacon  Long  rose  to  reply. 

"  It's  not  a  matter  of  placing  obstacles  in  the 
way  of  any  one  who  wishes  to  join  our  church  ;  it's 
not  a  matter  which  pertains  to  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Ell- 
wood's  Christian  character.  The  point  is:  as  a 


224  THE  MINISTRY  OF 

regular  church  of  our  denomination  we  cannot  ac- 
cept letters  from  churches  of  other  faith  and  practice. 
Further,  article  3,  section  20,  of  our  by-laws  reads 
as  follows  :  *  No  change  in  the  policy  or  established 
custom  of  this  church  shall  be  made  by  any  officer 
or  committee,  or  by  any  action  in  any  mid-week 
service.'  This  means  that  the  policy  of  this 
church  can  be  changed  only  by  vote  at  the  annual 
business  meeting." 

"  Are  we  to  understand,"  asked  the  pastor  try- 
ing to  speak  calmly,  "  that  this  section  of  the  by- 
laws is  meant  to  compel  us  to  walk  in  the  exact 
steps  of  our  predecessors  ?  that  because  they  did 
things  in  a  certain  way,  we  must  do  the  same  ?  " 

"  It  means,"  replied  Deacon  Long  with  more 
warmth  than  was  absolutely  becoming  in  a  deacon 
when  speaking  to  his  pastor,  "  it  means  that  this 
church  is  intended  to  remain  true  to  the  practices 
of  the  denomination  however  much  some  may  de- 
sire to  the  contrary." 

"  Brethren,"  said  the  pastor,  his  calm,  deliberate 
manner  little  indicating  the  indignation  he  was 
holding  in  check,  "at  the  next  annual  business 
meeting  of  this  church  I  shall  propose  to  drop  this 
section  from  our  by-laws.  It's  suicidal !  But  at 
present  I  suppose  there  is  nothing  to  do  but  abide 
by  it.  The  meeting  is  adjourned." 

Several  of  the  members  at  once  gathered  about 
the  pastor. 

"Such  a  shame!"  cried  Mrs.  Strong.  "It's 
the  most  unchristian  thing  these  men  have 


DAVID  BALDWIN  225 

done  in  a  long  time.  What  will  the  Ell  woods 
think  ?" 

"But  what  I  cannot  understand  is  why  that 
section  has  been  permitted  to  remain  in  the  by-laws 
so  long — nearly  forty  years,  I'm  told,"  said  Bald- 
win to  those  near  him. 

"  Just  bring  the  subject  up  at  the  next  annual 
meeting  and  you  will  know  more  about  it,"  said 
Mrs.  Terry. 

"  Yes,  that  section  is  one  of  his  pets." 

"Whose?" 

"  Mr.  Driver's." 

"  I  see,"  said  Baldwin. 

While  this  conversation  was  going  on  near 
the  pastor,  Mrs.  Long,  Mrs.  Brand,  Mrs.  Good- 
win, and  Mrs.  North  held  themselves  stiffly  aloof. 

"If  it  wasn't  for  my  husband  and  Brother 
Brand,"  Mrs.  Long  was  saying  to  Mrs.  North, 
"  I  can't  imagine  what  would  become  of  this 
church ! " 

"  They  certainly  do  have  their  hands  full.  Mr. 
Baldwin  don't  seem  to  know  exactly  what  belongs 
to  our  denominational  usage." 

"  That's  because  he's  not  a  true  member  of  the 
denomination ! "  exclaimed  Mrs.  Brand  who  had 
overheard  the  remark.  "  How  can  a  man  be  a 
member  of  the  denomination  and  hold  such  beliefs 
as  he  does  ?  My  husband — you  know  he  used  to 
be  a  pastor  years  ago  before  his  throat  gave  out 
— my  husband  says  that  Mr.  Baldwin  is  terribly 
unsound  in  his  doctrine.  Such  a  pity,  isn't  it?  " 


226  DAVID  BALDWIN 

"  It  is  a  pity.  His  sermons  would  be  so  helpful 
if  it  wasn't  for  that." 

"  Yes.  My  husband  says  that  so  many  of  the 
young  ministers  are  unsound  in  their  doctrine, 
nowadays.  I  wonder  what  the  church  is  coming 
to?" 

"  What  do  you  suppose  is  the  matter  ?  "  asked 
Mrs.  North,  as  they  stepped  into  the  vestibule, 
stopping  a  moment  to  adjust  their  wraps  before 
facing  the  outside  zero  atmosphere. 

"  Why,  my  husband  says  it's  all  due  to  what's 
called  the  *  new  theology.'  But  just  what  that  is  I 
can't  make  out.  But  it  must  be  something  dread- 
ful to  attack  religion  in  that  way.'1 

"Yes,  it  must  be  something  very  dreadful. 
There's  my  car.  Good -night." 

"  Good-night,"  responded  Mrs.  Brand. 


XVI 

MRS.  HARRINGTON  was  born  a  diplo- 
mat :  she  had  a  natural  aptitude  for 
taking  advantage  of  circumstances. 
Further,  this  aptitude  had  been  so  persistently  cul- 
tivated during  her 'little  more  than  twoscore  of 
years  that  it  had  developed  into  a  passion — this 
taking  advantage  of  circumstances — which  led  her 
to  do  many  things  of  which  she  otherwise  would 
never  have  thought.  So  thoroughly  did  this  pas- 
sion become  a  dominating  factor  in  her  life  that  it 
was  absolutely  painful  to  her  to  let  any  opportunity 
for  exercising  her  skill  go  unused.  When  this  is 
understood  it  will  be  easy  to  comprehend  that 
Mrs.  Harrington  was  not  infrequently  impelled  to 
turn  circumstances  to  her  own  account,  even  when 
it  required  a  little  duplicity  to  effect  the  desired 
end. 

So  long  had  she  continued  using  phrases  and 
expressions  she  did  not  really  mean,  the  habit  had 
become  not  only  second  but  first  nature  to  her. 
It  must  be  confessed,  however,  that  Mrs.  Harring- 
ton was  not  very  unlike  many  other  people  in  this 
respect.  The  principal  difference  is,  perhaps,  one 
of  degree.  Mrs.  Harrington's  mastery  of  the 
diplomatic  art  made  her  a  charming  person  to 
meet  in  casual  conversation,  and  her  friends — she 
had  her  full  share — soon  learned  to  value  her  word 

227 


228  THE  MINISTRY  OF 

for  just  about  what  it  was  worth  ;  and  in  this  way 
her  many  good  qualities  were  not  neutralized  by 
her  ruling  passion. 

Mrs.  Harrington  was  an  ardent  admirer  of  her 
pastor,  the  Reverend  David  Baldwin,  as  she  always 
introduced  him  to  her  friends.  Rarely  did  she 
leave  the  morning  service  without  meeting  him 
long  enough  to  express  her  admiration  of  his 
"beautiful  and  eloquent  sermon." 

In  making  his  calls,  the  pastor  had  met  her  a 
few  times  in  her  own  home ;  but  he  had  never 
found  it  convenient  to  stay  to  dinner,  as  she  had 
more  than  once  pressed  him  to  do,  owing  to  some 
other  demands  on  his  time. 

Not  long  after  the  holidays,  in  making  his  round 
of  calls  in  that  part  of  the  city,  David  Baldwin 
called  at  the  Harrington  home.  As  usual,  Mrs. 
Baldwin  accompanied  him. 

Mrs.  Harrington  herself  answered  their  ring. 

"  Come  right  in.  I  saw  you  coming  up  the 
walk  and  didn't  wait  for  Nora  to  admit  you.  How 
glad  I  am  to  see  you  !  Seems  an  age  since  you 
were  here  last.  Mrs.  Baldwin,  what  a  fine  color 
you  have.  No,  take  this  chair ;  you  will  find  it 
more  comfortable." 

"  We  scarcely  had  time  to  stop,  but  we  thought 
we  would  run  in  for  a  few  minutes." 

"Indeed!  I  should  have  felt  slighted  if  you 
hadn't.  It's  early  yet." 

"  But  Mr.  Baldwin  has  to  attend  a  committee 
meeting  at  an  unusually  early  hour  this  evening." 


DAVID  BALDWIN  229 

"  Miss  Adams,  whose  mother  is  ill,  as  you  know, 
wished  the  hour  at  a  quarter  before  seven.  This 
cuts  the  afternoon  short,"  added  the  minister. 

"That's  too  bad.  Excuse  me  just  a  moment 
while  I  speak  to  Nora." 

Mrs.  Harrington  withdrew  to  the  kitchen. 

"  Don't  be  in  any  hurry  with  the  dinner,  Nora. 
The  minister  and  his  wife  are  here.  I  shall  ask 
them  to  stay,  of  course ;  but  I'm  quite  certain  that 
they " 

"  I  was  just  goin'  to  ask  what  extra  preparations 
I  should  make." 

"  Oh,  make  none  at  all." 

"Why " 

"  Of  course,  Nora,  I  shall  have  to  ask  them  to 
stay  to  dinner,  but  they'll  not  stay.  He  has  to  at- 
tend an  early  committee  meeting.  It's  fortunate, 
too,  with  only  those  odds  and  ends  in  the  pantry, 
left  from  yesterday.  So  make  no  changes  in  our 
picked  up  dinner." 

On  her  return  to  the  parlor  Mrs.  Harrington 
found  Mrs.  Baldwin  alone,  examining  some  new 
music  which  lay  open  on  the  piano. 

"  Lillian  has  just  carried  Mr.  Baldwin  off  to  the 
library." 

"  Oh,  to  show  him  her  new  set  of  Scott.  Her 
grandmother  gave  it  to  her  as  a  birthday  present." 

"  Lillian  is  fond  of  reading  ?  " 

"Very.  She  divides  her  time  between  books 
and  music." 

"  This  piece  of  music  interests  me  especially :  I 


230  THE  MINISTRY  OF 

notice  it  is  composed  by  an  old  friend  in  the 
East." 

"  Cogswell  ?  Are  you  acquainted  with  Homer 
Emerson  Cogswell?  Tell  me  about  him.  His 
music  has  recently  become  so  very  popular.  He 
is  quite  the  rage,  you  know." 

Mrs.  Baldwin's  narrative  consumed  several 
minutes. 

"  I  am  so  glad  to  meet  some  one  who  knows 
him  personally ;  it's  almost  like  meeting  the  man 
himself — knowing  him  by  proxy,  as  it  were." 

"  His  success,  however,  is  not  without  quali- 
fication." 

"Indeed!     How  is  that?" 

"  You  see  his  earlier  compositions  were  but  in- 
differently received  ;  it  was  not  until  he  set  to  mu- 
sic some  of  the  poems  of  this  author  that  he  came 
into  prominence.  The  words  have  a  charm  of 
their  own.  Taken  together,  the  effect  of  the  com- 
position is  highly  pleasing." 

"  You  are  acquainted  with  the  writer  of  the 
words  also  ?  " 

"  Oh,  yes ;  while  in  Vassar  I  knew  her  well. 
She  was  our  president's  wife  ;  I  noticed  the  other 
day  a  flattering  review  of  a  volume  of  verse  she 
has  recently  published." 

"  What  a  privilege  to  meet  such  celebrities. 
That's  part*of  the  advantage  of  a  college  course, 
isn't  it  ?  Let  me  see,  the  name  of  the  president 
at  Vassar  is " 

"  Smith." 


DAVID  BALDWIN  231 

"  Oh,  yes ;  I  should  have  remembered.  I  can- 
not tell  you,  Mrs.  Baldwin,  how  delighted  I  am  to 
hear  of  these  people.  Here  in  Minnesota  we  are 
a  little  removed  from  literary  and  musical  genius. 
You  and  Mr.  Baldwin  must  stay  to  dinner  with 
us  :  Mr.  Harrington  is  absent  from  the  city  and 
will  not  be  back  till  a  little  after  six,  but  we  need 
not  wait  for  him." 

"  Thank  you,  Mrs.  Harrington  ;  it's  kind  of  you 
to  want  us  to  stay.  But  it's  impossible  this  even- 
ing. Mr.  Baldwin  desires  to  meet  with  that  com- 
mittee ;  and  we  must  hurry  back.  We  have  our 
own  dinner,  you  know,  at  one,  and  take  only  a 
light  lunch  at  six." 

"  But  you  have  never  eaten  with  us  yet,"  per- 
sisted Mrs.  Harrington,  more  and  more  certain  of 
her  ground  ;  "  and  I  am  beginning  to  feel  just  the 
least  bit  jealous  of  some  of  the  members  of  the 
church  with  whom  you  have " 

"  Indeed !  Mrs.  Harrington,  we  have  called 
here  quite  frequently  ;  more  often,  in  fact,  than  on 
many  of  the  church  families." 

"  None  too  often,  and  far  from  often  enough  to 
suit  me;  but  you  and  Mr.  Baldwin  have  never 
taken  lunch  or  dinner  with  me  yet.  I  always  like 
to  have  my  pastor  feel  at  home  at  our  house,  to 
just  drop  in  any  time  and  take  a  meal  with  us." 

"  We  will  surely  do  so  soon,  Mrs.  Harrington  ; 
and  I  regret  that  it  is  impossible  for  us  to  stay 
now." 

"  Yes  ;  Lillian  would  be  so  pleased  to  hear  you 


232  THE  MINISTRY  OF 

relate  whatever  you  could  recall  concerning  the 
authors  of  her  favorite  music.  Shall  I  not  speak 
to  Mr.  Baldwin  ?  Do  you  not  think  I  could  per- 
suade him  to  stay  ?  " 

"If  it  wasn't  for  that  committee  meeting;  he 
has  promised  to  meet  a  committee  from  the 
Young  People's  Society  and  assist  them  in  outlin- 
ing some  new  work  for  the  rest  of  the  winter.  I 
know  he  considers  the  meeting  very  important 
and " 

"  Well,  I  am  so  disappointed.  I  had  hoped  that 
you  could  stay  this  time  ;  but  of  course  a  pastor's 
time  is  not  his  own.  We  are  very  proud  of  our 
pastor,  Mrs.  Baldwin.  How  the  evening  audiences 
have  increased  I  Why,  last  Sunday  evening  the 
church  was  filled  to  overflowing — they  had  to 
open  the  lecture  room — a  thing  they  haven't  had 
to  do  before  since  the  day  of  its  dedication  ! — 
Why,  Lillian,  where  have  you  left  Mr.  Baldwin?" 
looking  up  at  her  daughter  who  was  entering  the 
room  alone. 

"  He  is  at  the  'phone,  mamma.  He  thinks  my 
set  of  Scott  is  just  splendid  ! " 

"Mrs.  Adams  is  worse,"  said  the  minister  re- 
turning to  the  parlor.  "  Her  daughter  has  been 
trying  to  reach  me  for  the  last  half  hour.  She 
tells  me  that  it  will  be  impossible  for  her  to  meet 
with  the  committee  and  asks  to  have  the  meeting 
postponed." 

"  And  you  have  postponed  it  ?  " 

"  Yes ;  for  Miss  Adams  is  the  central  force  of 


DAVID  BALDWIN  233 

that  committee.  I've  just  sent  word  to  the  other 
members." 

"  I  am  sorry  about  Mrs.  Adams  ;  it's  too  bad  that 
her  health  is  so  uncertain.  Mrs.  Harrington  has 
asked  us  to  stay  for  dinner :  I  told  her  we  couldn't 
possibly  stay  this  time,  but " 

"  Thank  you,  Mrs.  Harrington  ;  now  that  com- 
mittee meeting  is  postponed,  we  can  stay  just  as 
well  as  not.  Come  to  think  about  it,  we  have 
never  broken  bread  with  you  yet,  have  we?" 

Mrs.  Harrington  covered  her  confusion  by  ask- 
ing Lillian  to  play  something,  and  excusing  her- 
self again  she  fled  to  the  kitchen. 

"  Goodness  gracious,  Nora ;  they  are  going  to 
stay  after  all !  We  haven't  a  single  thing  in  the 
house  that's  fit  to  eat." 

"  And  it's  too  late  now  to  send  in  any  orders," 
added  Nora. 

"Well,  we  must  do  the  best  we  can  with  what 
we  have  on  hand,"  groaned  the  woman  who 
prided  herself  on  the  presentableness  of  her  table. 
"  What  a  shame  to  be  caught  this  way — by  the 
minister  and  his  wife,  too  1 " 

Nora  had  her  own  opinion  on  the  matter,  but 
she  discreetly  refrained  from  giving  it  utterance. 

Meanwhile  Lillian  was  relating  to  the  minister 
and  his  wife  some  instances  concerning  her  little 
brother  Edgar. 

"  He  wanted  a  wheel,  a  bicycle  like  papa's ; 
and  in  his  prayers  he  asked  the  Lord  to  send  him 
one  for  a  birthday  present.  For  several  weeks  be- 


234  THE  MINISTRY  OF 

fore  his  birthday  he  added  this  petition  to  his 
little  prayer  every  night.  Well,  papa  and  mamma 
thought  he  was  not  quite  old  enough  to  manage 
a  bicycle  so  they  bought  a  nice  tricycle  for  him  ; 
and  on  the  morning  of  his  birthday  we  put  it  in 
his  room  where  he  could  see  it  the  first  thing  when 
he  awoke." 

"  What  did  he  say  when  he  saw  it  ?  " 

"That  was  just  what  we  wanted  to  hear.  Some 
of  us  hid  in  the  corner  where  he  couldn't  see  us 
but  where  we  could  see  him.  We  didn't  have 
to  wait  long.  Soon  he  began  to  stir  and  rub  his 
eyes;  then  all  at  once  he  raised  himself  up  on 
his  elbow  and  looked  around.  His  eyes  fell  on 
the  tricycle.  A  look  of  disgust  swept  over  his 
face.  I  could  hardly  keep  from  laughing. 

"  *  Why,  Dod,'  said  he,  looking  scornfully  at  the 
object  which  had  aroused  his  disgust,  *  tought 
you  noo  mor'n  dis.  Humph  !  not  to  know  th' 
dif'erence  'tween  a  bike  an'  dat  ting  1 '  We 
thought  it  was  too  cute  for  anything." 

"  Did  he  use  the  tricycle?  " 

"  He  wouldn't  touch  it !  And  for  several  nights 
he  didn't  want  to  say  his  prayers.  Mamma  just 
had  to  make  him  say  'em." 

"  The  poor  little  man  !  "  said  Miriam. 

"  Yes,  he  took  the  matter  so  much  to  heart,  papa 
bought  him  a  wheel." 

"  Did  he  think  that  the  Lord  sent  it  ?  " 

"  Yes  ;  you  should  have  heard  him  the  night 
after  he  got  it.  He  told  the  Lord  all  about  how 


DAVID  BALDWIN  235 

glad  he  was,  and  even  promised  to  forgive  him  for 
the  mistake  he  had  made  in  not  sending  the  *  bike ' 
at  first." 

"Such  little  folks  must  be  very  interesting. 
Some  children  are  so  much  more  original  than 
others." 

"  Indeed,  they  are.  And  Edgar  is  so  original. 
He  is  all  the  time  asking  such  unexpected  ques- 
tions. But  I  must  tell  you  of  another  one  of  his 
prayers.  It  was  some  time  ago.  Mamma  was 
just  teaching  him  to  kneel  and  repeat  a  little 
prayer.  One  of  the  phrases  in  the  prayer  was 
'  And  keep  Edgar  a  good  boy.'  He  was  still  in 
dresses  and  he  had  been  teasing  mamma  to  make 
him  a  pair  of  pants.  Well,  one  night  mamma  was 
ill  and  papa  put  Edgar  to  bed.  The  little  fellow 
was  sleepy  and  when  he  came  to  say  his  prayers 
papa  had  to  help  him  in  two  or  three  places. 

"  *  And  make  Edgar ' — papa  began,  when  they 
came  to  that  part  of  the  prayer.  Now  mamma 
had  always  used  the  words,  *  And  keep  Edgar — a 
good  boy.'  But  papa  used  the  word  '  make '  and 
it  aroused  an  unexpected  response  in  the  little 
boy's  sleepy  brain. 

"  *  And  make  Edgar — a  pair  of  pants,'  was  the 
way  he  finished  the  phrase." 

"  He  knew  what  he  really  wanted  even  if  he 
was  half  asleep,"  laughed  the  minister. 

"  And  such  questions  as  he  asks  !  I'm  sure  I 
never  asked  such  questions  when  I  was  his  age. 
One  day  he  came  into  mamma's  sewing-room, 


236  THE  MINISTRY  OF 

walked  right  up  to  her  and  asked  if  God  could 
make  anything  he  wanted  to.  Mamma  replied  that 
she  thought  he  could.  Edgar  stood  a  moment. 

"  '  I  wish  he'd  make  some  wasser  wivout  th' 
wet  to  it,'  said  he,  glancing  down  at  his  wet 
shoes." 

"  Water  without  the  wet  to  it  1  That  was  quite 
an  idea." 

"  At  another  time  he  wanted  to  know  if  God 
could  make  a  piece  of  paper  with  only  one  side  to 
it.  And  if  he  has  asked  one,  he  has  asked  a  thou- 
sand questions.  Sometimes  they  are  the  result  of 
his  own  observation. 

"  '  What  is  it  that  has  two  wings  and  cannot 
fly  ? '  Papa  tried  to  guess  but  had  to  give  it  up. 

"  *  A  robin  with  a  broken  wing/  shouted  Edgar 
gleefully.  He  had  seen  one  that  morning  out  in 
the  back  yard." 

"  It  must  have  taken  considerable  reasoning  to 
ask  such  a  question.  Children  doubtless  learn  to 
reason  much  earlier  than  we  are  accustomed  to 
think." 

"  But  Edgar,  we  think,  is  quite  the  exception. 
You  would  have  laughed  to  hear  him  one  night 
last  summer.  One  of  the  neighbor  boys  was  over 
to  play  with  Tom,  and  these  two  didn't  want 
Edgar  about ;  he  was  too  little  to  join  in  their  fun, 
whatever  it  was.  So  they  thought  they  would 
scare  him  ;  and  then  he'd  leave  them  alone. 

"  The  two  older  boys  managed  tQ  slip  away  from 
Edgar  and  hide  in  the  cellarway.  He  looked 


DAVID  BALDWIN  23  T 

around  and  finally  opened  the  cellar  door  and 
peered  down.  All  was  dark.  Thinking  to 
frighten  him,  Tom,  in  a  very  sepulchral  voice, 
said  — 

"  '  Pm  a  boogger.' 

"  VPm  a  boogger/  said  the  other  boy,  in  the 
same  unearthly  tone. 

"They  supposed  Edgar  would  close  the  door 
and  run  away.  But  he  didn't.  He  put  his  head 
a  little  further  in  the  darkness,  and  in  a  voice  ex- 
actly similar  to  the  other  boys',  said  — 

"  <  And  Pm  a  boogger,  too  1 '  " 

"  Couldn't  fool  him." 

"  No.  The  boys  had  to  let  him  play  with  them, 
though  he  was  three  or  four  years  younger." 

"  I  suppose  there  are  some  stories  told  about 
you  and  Tom — what  you  did  or  said  when  you 
were  real  young  ?  "  said  the  minister. 

"  Not  many.  Edgar  seems  to  be  the  only  one 
in  our  family  in  that  line.  Though  Tom  did  get 
his  hand  into  a  crock  of  milk  one  time  when  he 
thought  he  was  reaching  up  where  the  cookies 
were.  But  mamma  had  moved  them.  He  didn't 
know  what  to  do  with  the  cream  that  stuck  to  his 
fingers.  He  tasted  of  it  and  it  was  sour.  He  was 
about  to  wipe  it  on  his  trousers  when  he  hap- 
pened to  think  that  mamma  would  be  sure  to  see 
it  if  he  did  that.  At  last  a  happy  thought  struck 
him :  his  hair  was  long  and  curly — just  the 
place. 

"  After  a  few  minutes  he  walked  into  the  sitting- 


238  THE  MINISTRY  OF 

room  where  mamma  had  callers.  Soon  she  ob- 
served something  strange  about  his  head. 

"  •  Why,  Tom,  what's  this  in  your  hair  ? '  she  said, 
drawing  him  nearer  the  window. 

"  '  NothinY  said  Tom. 

"  '  Why,  child,  it  looks  like  cream.  Oh,  I  know 
all  about  it  now.  I  changed  the  cookie  crock 
this  morning.  So  Tom  has  been  into  mother's 
cookies  ? ' 

"  Tom's  reply  has  passed  into  a  proverb. 

" '  No,  mamma ;  I  wasn't  into  the  cookies.  I 
was  just  a  looking  for  my  fishline.'  " 

"  Tom  will  be  sent  to  Congress  some  day,"  ob- 
served the  minister.  "  And  now,  Lillian,  what 
stories  do  they  tell  about  you  ?  " 

"  Oh,  nothing  of  any  importance." 

"  But  let  us  hear  one  of  them." 

"  It  doesn't  amount  to  very  much.  But  I've 
heard  mamma  tell  it  several  times.  When  I  was 
a  little  tot  she  found  me  one  rainy  Sunday  after- 
noon  up-stairs,  kneeling  down  by  my  bed,  and 
saying  my  prayers  over  and  over  and  over.  Finally 
she  asked  me  what  I  was  doing  it  for. 

"  'Why,  don't  you  see?  I'm  sayin'  a  lot  of  'em 
up  ahead.' 

"  '  Saying  your  prayers  up  ahead  ? '  asked 
mamma,  astonished  at  my  remark.  'What  are 
you  saying  your  prayers  up  ahead  for  ? '  She  says 
that  I  replied : 

" '  So  I  won't  be  bovered  with  'em  for  a  dood 
while.' " 


DAVID  BALDWIN  239 

"  You  were  quite  in  line,  Lillian,  with  a  very 
popular  custom,"  laughed  the  minister ;  "  that  of 
packing  enough  religion  into  Sunday  to  last  the 
rest  of  the  week." 

The  dinner  was  late.  When  they  went  out, 
though  a  heroic  effort  had  been  made  to  save  the 
day,  it  was  evident  that  Mrs.  Harrington  had  not 
expected  them  to  stay,  despite  the  fact  that  she 
had  warmly  urged  them  to  do  so.  Let  us  not 
blame  Mrs.  Harrington  too  severely,  for  it  is  more 
than  probable  that  other  ladies — not  born  diplo- 
mats either — have  urged  their  friends  to  stay  to 
dinner  when  at  the  same  time  they  were  fearful 
lest  their  invitations  be  accepted.  If  only  we  were 
all  gifted  with  some  subtle  power  of  insight  to  en- 
able us  to  discern  when  our  hosts  really  meant 
what  they  said  !  Yes,  but  what  revelations  would 
sometimes  appear!  Doubtless  human  society  is 
better  off  without  such  power  of  insight. 

His  church  calls  troubled  David  Baldwin  not  a 
little.  He  soon  found  that  all  the  elderly  ladies 
in  his  congregation  felt  they  had  a  special  claim 
on  him  and  expected  him  to  call  every  few  weeks  ; 
and  if  he  did  not  call  as  often  as  their  former 
pastor  had  done,  they  felt  slighted.  There  were 
also  several  families  who  needed  to  be  called  on 
frequently  to  keep  them  regular  in  their  church 
attendance.  If  the  pastor  did  not  call  about  so 
often,  they  would  relapse  into  indifference  toward 
their  church  duties. 


240  THE  MINISTRY  OF 

While  Miriam  accompanied  him  as  often  as 
possible  in  making  his  calls,  there  were  times 
when  her  duties  at  home  made  this  impossible. 
As  the  male  portion  of  the  family  was  usually  ab- 
sent when  he  called,  David  soon  learned,  instinc- 
tively, to  skip  certain  places  when  Miriam  was  not 
with  him. 

"  Why  ?  "  asked  Miriam,  innocently. 

"  People  would  soon  begin  to  *  talk.' " 

"Surely,  David,  you  cannot  mean "  and 

Miriam  hesitated. 

"  Yes  ;  I  mean  that  it  would  be  the  easiest  thing 
in  the  world  for  the  minister  to  lose  his  reputation 
by  thoughtlessly  calling  a  few  times  alone  on  some 
of  the  families  of  his  congregation." 

"  But,  David,  what  wrong  would  there  be  in 
your  calling  alone?" 

"  No  wrong  whatever  in  itself ;  the  harm  consists 
in  what  certain  other  people — neighborhood  gos- 
sips— would  say  about  it." 

"  Is  that  the  reason  you  always  take  me  with 
you  to  certain  places  ?  " 

"Yes." 

"  But  how  can  you  tell  where  such  places  are — 
the  homes  where  people  would  talk  if  you  called 
there  alone  ?  " 

"  By  instinct  or,  in  a  woman,  I  suppose  it  would 
be  called  intuition.  Of  course  in  the  majority  of 
cases  I  feel  that  nothing,  whatever,  would  be  said. 
I  run  in  quite  frequently  at  Mrs.  Wood's — the 
doctor  is  nearly  always  out  or  busy,  but  that 


DAVID  BALDWIN  241 

doesn't  make  any  difference.  Mrs.  Wood  and  1 
have  the  best  of  chats.  She  says  she  sometimes 
gets  more  out  of  them  than  from  my  sermons." 

"  She  was  telling  me  just  the  other  day  how 
much  she  enjoyed  your  calls." 

"It's  so  easy  to  talk  with  her  on  religious  sub- 
jects. She  has  been  unsatisfied  with  many  of  the 
older  positions  for  a  long  while,  but  has  been 
holding  on  to  them  because  she  thought  she 
must." 

"  Possessing  beliefs  that  did  not  possess  her." 

"  She  couldn't  have  stated  her  own  case  more 
exactly  herself.  She  was  brought  up  on  the  sub- 
stitutionary  theory  of  the  atonement — that  Christ 
was  punished  in  our  stead.  When  she  came  to 
think  independently  on  these  great  themes,  this 
view  of  Christ's  work — that  his  sufferings  were  to 
appease  the  wrath  of  God — gave  her  such  a  ter- 
rible conception  of  God  that  she  began  to  doubt 
and  question  it." 

"  I  am  so  glad  that  you  have  been  able  to  help 
her.  It  must  be  such  a  satisfaction  1 " 

"  Indeed  it  is  I  A  few  such  experiences  go  a 
good  way  in  offsetting  some  others  not  so  agree- 
able. I  shall  never  forget  the  time  when  Mrs. 
Wood  caught  the  newer  conception  of  Christ's 
sacrifice.  Her  countenance,  always  clothed  with 
serenity,  fairly  glowed  as  the  cloud  of  perplexity 
disappeared. 

"  I  shall  not  soon  forget  the  joyous  note  in  her 
tone  as  she  said  — 


242  DAVID  BALDWIN 

"  *  I  see  it  now  !  Why,  it  is  what  I  have  always 
wanted  to  believe,  but  did  not  dare :  Christ's  suf- 
ferings were  not  punishment,  but  the  inevitable  re- 
sults of  living  a  life  of  holy  love  in  a  sinful  world/ 

"  After  we  had  talked  a  while  longer  she  made 
another  statement  that  I  shall  always  remember." 

"What  was  it?"  asked  Miriam. 

"  *  Oh,  how  much  more  humane  God  becomes 
when  we  look  at  Christ's  sufferings  in  that  way  1 ' 

"  Indeed,  I  feel  that  there  are  few  greater  priv- 
ileges or  deeper  joys  than  to  open  doors  into 
newer  and  broader  and  deeper  conceptions  of  real- 
ity. But  the  cost  of  it ! " 

Miriam  looked  into  her  husband's  eyes,  ques- 
tioning. 

"  Yet  the  man  who  would  not  give  his  life  for 
the  privilege  of  opening  doors,  is  unworthy  of  that 
high  service  to  his  age." 

"That  was  the  price  that  the  Christ  had  to 
pay." 

"Yes,"  repeated  David  with  unwonted  so- 
lemnity ;  "  that  was  the  price  the  Christ  had  to 
pay." 


XVII 

IT  was  the  third  Monday  after  Easter — David 
Baldwin's  second  Easter  as  pastor  of  his 
church.  The  pastor  was  in  his  study  writing 
some  letters.  While  the  forenoon  was  yet  young, 
a  caller  was  announced. 

"Ah,  good-morning,  Mr.  Driver.'1 

David  Baldwin  rose  from  his  desk  and  extended 
his  hand. 

"  Let  me  take  your  hat.  You  will  find  that 
chair  by  the  window  quite  comfortable." 

Mr.  Driver  took  his  pastor's  hand  very  coldly. 

"  No — can't  stay — won't  be  worth  while  to  sit 
down." 

With  no  attempt  to  conceal  a  disturbed  state  of 
mind,  the  pastor's  caller  jerked  these  words  out, 
bit  them  off  savagely  and  hurled  them  into  the  air 
with  an  intensity  which  charged  the  atmosphere 
with  their  heat.  Baldwin  felt  the  difference  even 
if  the  thermometer  did  not. 

"  No,"  ignoring  the  chair,  and  holding  his  gray 
felt  hat  in  his  hand,  "  I'll  not  sit  down.  When  I've 
got  something  to  say  to  a  man,  I  want  to  stand  on 
my  feet." 

He  walked  nervously  from  one  side  of  the  room 
to  the  other,  then,  turning,  he  faced  his  pastor  with 
a  question, 

"That  ritualistic  nonsense! — I  want  to  know, 
243 


THE  MINISTRY  OF 

young  man,  how  much  longer  you  are  intending 
to  keep  it  up  ?  " 

The  speaker's  gray  eyes  fairly  snapped  ;  his  out- 
stretched arm  quivered  with  unspoken  rage  ;  his 
tone,  had  he  been  denouncing  the  most  heinous 
practice  known  to  man,  could  not  have  expressed 
more  venom ;  his  words  fairly  hissed  as  he  spat 
them  out  of  his  throat. 

"I've  come  to  ask  you  a  fair  and  square  ques- 
tion— it's  not  my  way  to  beat  'round  the  bush,  for 
when  I've  got  anything  to  say,  I  say  it  right  to  a 
man's  face — I  want  to  know  how  long  you  pro- 
pose to  keep  up  that  ritualistic  nonsense  you 
started  three  Sundays  ago  ?  " 

"  Why,  I "  began  the  pastor,  utterly  un- 
conscious till  that  moment  that  he  had  given 
offense  in  the  direction  indicated. 

"  For  if  you  are  determined  to  persist  in  con- 
tinuing this  thing,  I  am  here  to  say,  young  man, 
that  I  am  hostile  to  it ! "  He  ground  the  word 
"  hostile  "  almost  to  powder  as  he  held  it  an  instant 
between  his  teeth.  "  Yes,  sir,  I  am  hostile  to  it  1 " 
raising  his  voice  to  an  exclamatory  pitch. 

"These  responses,  this  ritualistic  nonsense, 
you've  introduced,  smack  of  the  ritualism  of 
Rome,"  he  hissed.  "  If  this  goes  on  unchecked, 
if  we  tamely  submit  to  this  pernicious  innovation, 
young  man,  who  can  tell  but  that  the  next  thing 
you  do  you'll  be  burning  incense  and  wearing  a 
surplice — the  very  livery  of  hell  1 " 

David  Baldwin  stood  at  the  back  of  his  study 


DAVID  BALDWIN  245 

chair,  his  hand  tightening  nervously  as  he  grasped 
the  projecting  corner.  To  reply  or  to  interrupt 
was  alike  useless ;  for  Driver,  with  only  a  pause  to 
get  his  breath,  poured  forth  another  broadside. 

"  So  far  as  your  preaching  is  concerned  I  have 
little  fault  to  find.  In  many  ways  I  like  it :  your 
sermons  often  accord  with  my  own  thoughts. 
Doctrines  come  and  go.  We  have  ours;  other 
generations  have  had  their  own.  But,  young  man, 
the  customs  of  this  church, — if  you  intend  to  in- 
sist on  changing  the  customs  of  this  church, — that 
is  quite  a  different  matter.  I  want  you  to  under- 
stand you  are  not  hired  for  that  purpose.  For 
over  fifty  years  I've  been  a  member  of  this  church, 
— its  customs  are  dear  to  me,  associated  as  they 
are  with  the  most  sacred  things  of  my  life — and  do 
you  suppose  Pll  tamely  submit  to  your  innovations 
at  this  late  date  ?  I  tell  you  I'll  fight  'em  to  the 
bitter  end — yes,  to  the  bitter  end  ! 

"  I'm  hostile  to  that  ritual  you  have  introduced. 
If  you  feel  bound  to  continue  using  it,  let  me  say 
to  you  right  here  and  now :  this  church  will  soon 
need  another  pastor.  For  either  you  or  I  will  have 
to  get  out,  and  /  don't  intend  to  leave.  I  have 
told  you  plainly  how  I  feel  about  these  responses 
and  the  rest  of  your  ritualistic  nonsense.  Now 
that  you  know  my  opinion,  perhaps  you  can  tell 
me  what  you  intend  to  do  ?  " 

He  stood  in  the  middle  of  the  floor,  in  the  atti- 
tude of  a  superior  power,  having  just  issued  an 
ultimatum,  a  fine  picture  if  only  the  occasion  had 


246  THE  MINISTRY  OF 

been  more  worthy  of  his  mettle.  In  his  own  mind 
it  was  worthy — more's  the  pity — for  while  he  was 
favorable  to  many  of  the  newer  positions  in  doc- 
trine, to  changes  in  customs  or  methods,  he  was 
uncompromising  in  his  opposition.  In  his  mind 
the  First  Church  was  identified  with  certain  cus- 
toms and  practices :  these  were  the  central  things , 
these  he  loved  with  partisan  intensity,  loved  as  the 
martyrs  had  loved  the  things  which  led  them  to 
endure  the  blaze  of  fagots,  the  torture  of  the  rack. 
If  occasion  could  have  arisen,  he  would  gladly 
have  given  his  life  for  the  things  he  held  dear — 
the  customs  and  practices  of  his  church  ;  as  his 
martyr  ancestors  had  given  their  lives  in  witness 
to  cherished  doctrines  and  beliefs. 

Unfortunately,  the  zeal  of  the  martyr,  when  op- 
portunity permits,  is  all  too  easily  transformed 
into  the  zeal  of  the  inquisitor,  a  matter  of  attitude 
determined  by  the  lack  or  the  possession  of  power. 
Are  not  the  pages  of  history  replete  with  such  ex- 
amples where  the  lack  of  power  makes  the  inquis- 
itor into  a  martyr,  and  the  possession  of  power, 
the  martyr  into  an  inquisitor  ? 

Power  of  a  most  convincing  nature  lay  in  the 
hands  of  Amos  Driver:  he  was  the  largest  con- 
tributor in  the  membership  of  his  church.  In  full 
consciousness  of  this  power,  he  stood  before  his 
pastor. 

"  I  slept  scarcely  a  wink  last  night,"  he  went  on 
fiercely ;  "  this  perverse  nonsense  you've  intro- 
duced into  the  church  service  has  upset  me  so ! 


DAVID  BALDWIN  247 

And  it  was  the  same  thing  last  week.  Why,  I 
didn't  get  settled  down  so  that  I  could  sleep  till 
the  middle  of  the  week.  Young  man,  I'm  too  old 
to  stand  any  changes  in  our  church  service.  For 
fifty  years  things  have  gone  on  unchanged.  Some 
few  of  your  predecessors  have  felt  called  upon  to 
introduce  pernicious  innovations,  but  I  have  fought 
'em,  every  one  to  the  bitter  end. 

"  And  what  became  of  every  one  of  these  men 
that  insisted  on  changing  the  customs  of  this 
church  ?  Young  man,  I  ask  again — what  became 
of  these  men  ?  They  soon  found  it  convenient  to 
resign.  Yes,  sir  ;  they  all  had  to  leave,  persuaded 
doubtless  that  the  Lord  had  work  for  them  in  some 
other  field.  Humph !  What  excuses  ministers 
trump  up  sometimes  when  they  are  forced  to  re- 
sign ! — The  Lord  calling  them  to  another  field. 
Bah  !  But  that's  neither  here  nor  there.  What  I 
want  you  to  understand  is  that  no  man  can  long 
remain  the  pastor  of  this  church  without  my  con- 
sent. And  now  I  want  to  know  if  you  are  de- 
termined to  keep  up  the  use  of  that  ritual  you  in- 
troduced three  Sundays  ago?" 

"  I  am  sorry,  Mr.  Driver,"  began  David  Baldwin, 
speaking  calmly,  his  voice  giving  evidence  of  re- 
strained pressure  ;  "  I  am  exceedingly  sorry  that 
anything  I  have  done " 

"  That's  not  the  point !  Answer  my  question  ! 
What  do  I  care  whether  you  are  sorry  or  not. 
Just  as  if  that  would  mend  matters.  Humph  ! 
Are  you  going  to  continue  the  use  of  that  ritual  ? 


248  THE  MINISTKY  OF 

That's  what  I  want  to  know.  Answer  ^my  ques- 
tion," fiercely,  taking  a  step  near  his  pastor,  and 
glaring  at  him  with  eyes  emitting  intense  anger. 

"  Perhaps  I  don't  quite  understand  what  you 
mean,  Mr.  Driver,"  began  David  Baldwin.  "  Your 
language  is  more  familiar  to  yourself  than  to  me. 
But  if  I  am  able  to  comprehend  your  meaning, 
you  are  displeased  with  certain  changes  I  have 
made  in  our  church  service,  changes  calculated  to 
add  richness  and  variety  to  our  worship.  You  are 
the  first  one,  Mr.  Driver,  who  has  had  anything 
to  say  against  these  changes,  while  a  score  of 
people  have  said  something  to  me  in  their 
favor. 

"  Without  the  least  previous  intimation  of  your 
displeasure,  you  now  demand  that  I  discontinue 
the  use  of  these  responses,  though  their  use  is 
sanctioned  by  the  rest  of  the  church.  You " 

"  Young  man !  I  didn't  come  here  to  debate 
this  subject  with  you,"  snapped  Mr.  Driver,  im- 
patiently. "  I  don't  care  what  the  rest  of  the  con- 
gregation want.  Most  people  have  no  mind  of 
their  own.  Whatever  the  minister  does  is  law  and 
gospel  to  them.  But  I've  a  mind  of  my  own  !  / 
know  what  belongs  to  the  service  of  a  church  of 
our  denomination,  if  they  don't.  And  I  want 
these  innovations,  that  smack  of  popery,  to  cease. 
Understand?" 

"  I  think  I  understand,  Mr.  Driver." 

"  Well  ?  You  haven't  answered  my  question 
yet." 


DAVID  BALDWIN  249 

"  The  only  answer  I  can  give  at  present  is  that 
I  will  take  into  consideration  what  you " 

"Consideration — your  grandmother!  What  do 
I  care  whether  you  take  the  matter  into  consid- 
eration or  not,"  scornfully.  "You  have  got 
ordinary  common  sense,  ain't  you?  Well,  then, 
answer  my  question  at  oncel  I  will  repeat  it 
again,  very  slowly,  so  that  even  a  blockhead — 
I'm  not  saying  that  you  are  one — could  under- 
stand it  and  give  his  answer  without  all  this  de- 
lay :  Will  you  or  will  you  not  discontinue — dis- 
continue means,  young  man,  to  stop  and  stop  at 
once — that  ritualistic  nonsense  which  you  have 
seen  fit  to  lug  into  our  church  service  during  the 
past  three  Sundays  ?  Answer  me/" 

"  The  only  answer  I  can  possibly  give  you,  Mr. 
Driver,  is  that  I  will  take  into  consideration  what 
you  have  said,  and  whatever  seems  best,  in  view 
of  everything  concerned,  why,  that  will  be  the 
course  to  pursue.  But  just  what  that  course  will 
be,  I  cannot  at  this  moment  tell." 

"  But  I  insist,"  shouted  Driver,  angrily.  "  I  in- 
sist on  your  answering  my  question  ! " 

"  My  hearing  is  very  good,  Mr.  Driver.  There 
is  no  need  of  shouting.  I  can  understand  perfectly 
what  you  say  if  you  speak  in  an  ordinary  tone. 
You  have  my  answer.  I  can  give  you  no  other. 
But  permit  me  to  say,  Mr.  Driver,  I  am  exceed- 
ingly sorry " 

"  Your  grandmother ! "  exclaimed  Driver,  unable 
in  other  words  to  give  vent  to  his  scorn,  his  pas- 


250  THE  MINISTRY  OF 

sion  something-  beautiful  to  behold.  "HI  had  as 
little  sense,  young  man,  as  some  ministers  seem  to 
have,  I'd — I'd — yes,  I'd  become  a  preacher  myself. 
But  thank  the  Lord,  I  haven't  come  to  that  yet. 
Go  on,  young  man ;  go  on.  I  fight  in  the  open. 
Don't  blame  me  if  this  church  is  needing  another 
pastor  before  long — blame  your  own  perversity. 
Now  do  just  what  you  see  fit." 

He  turned  upon  his  heel  and  vanished. 

Left  alone,  David  Baldwin  stood  as  one  in  a 
trance.  Could  it  be  true  ? — could  it  possibly  be 
true  ?  Was  it  not  all  an  awful  dream  ?  Had  he 
actually  heard  the  words  that  were  still  ringing  in 
his  ears  ?  What  had  he  done  to  call  down  upon 
himself  this  terrible  avalanche  of  scalding  words  ? 
His  temples  throbbed,  his  face  burned,  a  tightness 
clutched  him  about  the  heart,  a  brick  of  immense 
size  seemed  to  be  lodged  in  his  stomach.  He 
went  to  the  window  and  opened  it  wide — the  air 
of  his  study  was  charged  with  those  hissing 
words ! 

He  sat  down  and  tried  to  think. 

"  I  might  have  been  a  little  more  conciliatory  : 
but  it  was  all  so  sudden.  Did  I  do  right  in  refus- 
ing to  comply  with  his  demand?  Should  a 
church " 

A  soft  knocking  at  his  study  door  brought  him 
out  of  his  reverie. 

"  Why,  Mrs.  Wood  !  Come  right  in.  How  are 
you  this  morning  ?  " 

"  I'm  well,  thank  you,"  taking  the  chair  he  of- 


DAVID  BALDWIN  251 

fered  her.  "  Mr.  Driver  has  been  to  see  you,  hasn't 
he?" 

"  Yes,  he  has  just  gone." 

"  Mrs.  Driver  told  me  last  evening  on  our  way 
home  from  church  that  her  husband  had  taken  a 
violent  dislike  to  the  changes  you  have  made  in 
the  morning  service.  Mrs.  Driver  feels  so  sorry  ; 
she  was  afraid  that  he  would  cause  you  some 
trouble.  Strange,  that  he  should  get  so  worked 
up  over  such  a  matter  !  Mrs.  Driver  said  he  was 
so  upset  that  it  was  impossible  for  him  to  sleep  ! " 

"  I  am  very  sorry.  Mrs.  Driver  or  some  one 
should  have  told  me.  It  is  not  my  desire  to  annoy 
any  one ;  and  as  a  personal  matter  I  would  have 
done  almost  anything  rather  than  discomfort  Mr. 
Driver  or  any  one  else.  But  coming  to  me  as  he 
did,  in  the  spirit  of  a  dictator,  I  feel  that  it  is  alto- 
gether another  matter." 

"  I  can  imagine  what  he  said  was  not  very 
pleasant  to  hear." 

"  Well,  of  course,  he  is  an  old  man  and  scarcely 
knew  what  he  was  saying.  I  tried  hard  to  be 
patient  with  him." 

"  His  temper  is  something  awful  when  it's 
aroused.  It's  hard  to  understand  how  he  can  be  so 
delightfully  liberal  in  his  theology  and  so,  so  im- 
movably conservative  in  regard  to  the  customs  and 
practices  of  the  church." 

"One  would  think  that  these  customs  had  been 
delivered  to  the  church  by  special  revelation,  and 
that  he  was  their  divinely  appointed  guardian. 


252  THE  MINISTRY  OF 

Has  he  always  been  this  way  ?  I  mean  since  you 
have  known  him,  Mrs.  Wood  ?  " 

"  Yes ;  only  I  think  he  is  worse  as  he  gets 
older." 

"  From  what  he  said  I  begin  to  understand  why 
this  church  has  had  nearly  twenty-five  pastors  dur- 
ing the  past  fifty  years.  No  church  can  thrive 
under  such  conditions." 

"  I  know  it.  We  all  know  it.  But  what  are  we 
to  do  ?  Our  membership  is  small." 

"  No  wonder." 

"  And  most  of  the  members  are  in  very  ordinary 
circumstances,  financially.  Mr.  Driver  is  our  only 
wealthy  member.  Mr.  Brand  comes  next.  Mr. 
Driver  gives  very  liberally  to  the  church.  His 
pocketbook  is  always  open.  But  he  has  his 
notions  and  is  very  set  in  his  way.  We  have  al- 
ways given  in  to  him  because  that  was  the  only  way 
we  could  get  along." 

"  I  feel  sure,  Mrs.  Wood,  that  the  church  would 
be  much  stronger  to-day  if  the  rest  of  the  members 
had  not  given  in  to  him.  Why,  during  the  past 
quarter  of  a  century  the  other  churches  in  this  city 
have  doubled  their  membership,  some  of  them, 
two  or  three  times.  What  has  this  church  done  ? 
Scarcely  held  its  own." 

"  I  know  it.  I  sometimes  think  that  this  church 
has  wonderful  vitality  or  it  must  have  died  long 
ago.  How  provoking  that  Mr.  Driver  should  an- 
noy you  now  that  we  seem  to  be  taking  on  new 
life  again.  It  was  nice  of  the  Ellwoods,  wasn't  it, 


DAVID  BALDWIN  253 

to  keep  on  coming  to  our  church  after  that  dis- 
graceful haggling  over  their  church  letters  ?  That 
section  in  our  by-laws,  we  owe  to  Mr.  Driver." 

"  I  can  well  believe  it  from  the  use  he  makes  of 
it." 

"  Oh,  I  think  a  minister's  life  must  be  so  hard. 
I  used  to  think  it  would  be  grand  to  have  Harold 
study  for  the  ministry ;  but  I  have  changed  my 
mind.  I  wouldn't  want  a  boy  of  mine  to  be  a 
minister  for  the  world.  Such  haggling  1  Such 
unreasoned  opposition  !  I  don't  see  how  a  minis- 
ter can  stand  it.  /  couldn't — it  would  kill  me  1 " 

"  You  have  heard,  haven't  you,  of  backs  being 
fitted  for  their  burdens  ?  Well,  I'm  coming  to  be- 
lieve that  there's  a  good  deal  of  truth  in  the  say- 
ing. Why,  if  any  one  had  told  me  two  years  ago 
that  I  could  have  stood  some  of  the  things  I  have 
stood,  I  wouldn't  have  believed  it  If  I  deviate 
the  least  particle  from  the  established  customs  of 
the  church,  Mr.  Driver  hauls  me  up  ;  if  I  present 
any  phase  of  the  religious  experience  in  a  different 
manner,  or  give  a  new  emphasis  to  any  old  truth, 
or  in  any  way  interpret  life  from  the  modern  point 
of  view,  then  Mr.  Brand  and  Deacon  Long  are 
after  me." 

"  Oh,  it's  a  shame  !  I  do  wish  something  could 
be  done.  Are  other  churches  like  this?" 

"  Indeed,  I  hope  not,  Mrs.  Wood.  The  church 
situation  is  something  like  this :  in  every  denomi- 
nation now  there  are  coming  to  be  two  parties  or 
rather  groups  ;  and  there  is  more  distinctive  dif- 


254  THE  MINISTRY  OF 

ference  between  these  two  groups  within  the  de- 
nominations than  there  is  between  the  denomina- 
tions, themselves." 

"  You  mean  that  in  every  denomination,  some 
hold  to  the  older  thought,  and  some  to  the  new  ?  " 

"  Yes.  Broadly  speaking  the  religious  world  is 
not  divided  into  denominations,  but  rather  into 
these  two  great  divisions — those  who  cherish  the 
doctrines  they  have  inherited  and  believe  that 
these  are  final  expressions  of  religious  truth ;  that 
all  men  should  accept  them, — this  is  the  one 
great  group.  Its  members  are  found  everywhere." 

"  The  group  to  which  I  used  to  belong,"  said 
Mrs.  Wood.  "  I  thought  it  was  a  sin  to  doubt 
any  of  the  beliefs  on  which  I  had  been  brought 
up." 

"  Yes,  most  of  us  were  brought  up  in  this  group 
and  know  by  painful  experience — those  of  us  who 
have  left  it — how  hard  it  was,  the  transition  into 
the  other  section.  Many  have  made  this  transition 
not  of  choice  but  of  necessity,  being  unable  longer 
to  interpret  their  religious  experience  in  the  terms 
of  their  inherited  beliefs." 

"  Indeed,  I  know  just  what  that  means,  Mr. 
Baldwin.  For  years  I  held  to  some  of  the  older 
doctrines,  though  they  didn't  satisfy  me.  I  was 
driven  into  the  newer  thought  even  against  my 
will." 

"In  most  churches,"  continued  Mr.  Baldwin, 
"  there  are  adherents  of  both  of  these  great  sec- 
tions. Of  course  in  some  instances  churches  are 


DAVID  BALDWIN  255 

all  one  or  the  other.  With  us  the  contest  is 
on." 

"  It  certainly  is.  But  it  must  be  some  relief  to 
be  able  to  understand  it,"  rising.  "  I  must  be  go- 
ing. How  is  Mrs.  Baldwin  ?  " 

"  She  is  well,  thank  you.  Feel  free  to  run  in  any 
time.  Good-morning." 

David  Baldwin  sat  down  again  at  his  desk.  He 
was  calm  now  and  it  seemed  a  long  time  ago, — 
that  other  call  from  Mr.  Driver. 

"  I  will  ask  the  members  at  the  midweek  service 
to  express  their  opinion  concerning  the  changes  I 
have  made  in  the  morning  service.  That  will  be 
the  best  way,  and  I'll  ask  Mr.  Driver  to  be  present, 
so  that  both  sides  may  be  heard."  Having  for- 
mulated this  plan,  David  Baldwin  dismissed  the 
subject  so  far  as  he  could  from  his  mind. 


XVIII 

"  \"T  THY,  girls,  what's  the  matter?"  asked 
\/\/  Mrs.  Stewart,  as  her  daughters  were 
returning  from  prayer-meeting. 

"  Oh,  such  a  time  as  we  had  to-night ! " 

"  A  perfect  circus,  mother !  'Twas  worse  than  a 
circus." 

"  I  never  witnessed  such  a  disgraceful  affair  ! " 

Mary  and  Cora  and  Elizabeth  were  all  talking 
at  once. 

"  And  in  a  church,  too ! " 

"  It  was  worse  than  any  political  meeting, 
mother." 

"  I  felt  so  sorry  for  Mrs.  Baldwin  1 " 

"  And  for  Mr.  Baldwin,  too  1 " 

Mrs.  Stewart  looked  from  one  to  the  other  of  her 
daughters  as  they  entered  the  sitting-room. 

"  Oh,  mother,  such  a  time  as  we  had  at  prayer- 
meeting  to-night  1 " 

"  It  broke  up  in  confusion  ! " 

"  It  was  this  way,  mother,"  said  Mary  disregard- 
ing the  interruptions  of  the  other  girls  ;  "  before 
the  close  of  the  service  Mr.  Baldwin  said  that  he 
wished  to  know  how  the  members  present  felt 
about  the  value  of  the  responses  and  other  changes 
he  had  introduced  in  the  morning  service ;  that 
some  had  spoken  to  him  heartily  in  their  favor, 

256 


DAVID  BALDWIN  257 

while  there  were  others  who  did  not  approve  of 
them." 
"Well?" 

"  He  went  on  to  say,"  continued  Mary,  "  that 
the  church  was  a  community  of  individuals  bound 
together  for  their  common  good — that  each  should 
desire  what  was  for  the  good  of  the  greatest  num- 
ber." 

"Yes." 

"  He  said  he  did  not  wish  to  bring  the  matter 
to  a  vote,  but  simply  to  know  how  various  indi- 
viduals regarded  these  changes — whether  they 
were  helpful  or  not  in  adding  richness  to  the 
church  service." 

"  I  see  nothing  in  this  to  get  excited  over," 
commented  Mrs.  Stewart. 

"  But;  wait,  mother ;  just  wait ! "  cried  Cora. 
"  The  excitement  came  after  this." 

"  Yet  you  could  almost  feel  that  something  was 
going  to  happen.  I  know  I  did,"  added  Elizabeth. 

"  After  the  minister  said  he  wanted  everyone 
to  feel  perfectly  free  to  say  exactly  what  they 
thought  as  to  these  changes, — before  any  one  else 
had  time  to  get  on  their  feet  or  say  a  word,  Mr. 
Driver  got  up  and " 

"  From  the  look  on  his  face,  the  rest  of  us  just 
sat  there  and  held  our  breath,"  said  Cora. 

"  Yes,"  added  Elizabeth ;  "  the  room  got  so 
still ! " 

"  The  Stone  girls,  sitting  near  me,  were  if  any- 
thing more  frightened  than  I  was." 


258  THE  MINISTRY  OF 

"  Mr.  Driver,"  repeated  Mary,  "  got  up  and 
without  saying  a  word  made  his  way  to  the  open 
space  in  front " 

"Just  off  to  the  left  of  where  the  pastor  sits." 

"  Near  the  door  leading  into  the  auditorium." 

" and  stood  so  that  he  faced  both  the  pastor 

and  the  rest  of  us." 

"  His  eyes  snapped  ! " 

"  Oh,  mother,  it  was  simply  awful ! " 

"  But,  Mary,  what  did  he  say  ?  You  don't  mean 
to  tell  me  that  Mr.  Driver  simply  stood  there  with- 
out saying  anything.  Tell  me,  child,  what  did  he 
say  ?  "  with  some  impatience. 

"  What  didn't  he  say  ?  Why,  mother,  for  fifteen 
minutes  he  poured  forth  such  a  stream  of  abusive 
language  as  I  hope  never  to  be  compelled  to  listen 
to  again.  He  charged  Mr.  Baldwin  with  attack- 
ing the  established  customs  of  the  denomination  ; 
that  he,  a  young  man,  was  taking  it  upon  himself 
to  reform  the  settled  practices  of  centuries ;  that 
he  was  introducing  the  ritual  of  Rome  and  would 
soon  be  burning  incense.  Oh,  I  can't  tell  you 
what  he  didrit  say  !  " 

"  He  addressed  the  pastor  personally — he  said 
'you' — 'you*  are  doing  this — 'you'  are  doing 
that." 

"  His  words  were  simply  awful.  But  the  tone  in 
which  he  spoke  was  a  thousand  times  worse! " 

"  Yes,  his  manner  gave  a  double  edge  to  every- 
thing he  said." 

"  I  never  knew  that  a  man  could  be  so  abusive ! " 


DAVID  BALDWIN  259 

"What  did  Mr.  Baldwin  do?"  asked  Mrs. 
Stewart. 

"What  did  he  do?  Why,  mother,  just  what 
the  rest  of  us  did — he  sat  still — amazed — non- 
plussed— spellbound.  Oh,  it  was  like  witnessing 
the  rush  of  Niagara :  one  simply  forgot  all  else. 
I've  heard  Mr.  Driver  explode  before ;  but  never, 
never  like  this  !  There  wasn't  an  abusive  word 
in  the  dictionary — in  his  dictionary — that  he  didn't 
use.  He  couldn't  possibly  have  been  more  in- 
sulting than  he  was  to  Mr.  Baldwin." 

"  And  at  the  close  of  a  prayer-meeting ! " 

"You  see,  mother,  Mr.  Driver  is  very  much  op- 
posed to  changing  any  of  the  customs  of  the 
church.  He  was  afraid  lest  some  of  us  should 
speak  in  favor  of  these  changes :  so  he  opened 
fire  first.  He  talked  so  long  and  so  abusively,  the 
meeting  simply  broke  up  before  any  one  else 
could  say  anything.  Many  of  the  ladies  left  the 
room  in  tears." 

"And  was  the  minister's  wife  there,  you  say?" 
asked  the  mother,  anxiously. 

"Yes.  She  left  the  room.  Great  tears  were 
streaming  down  her  cheeks  as  she  went  out." 

"  Too  bad  !  Too  bad !  The  worst  possible  thing 
for  a  woman  in  her  condition,"  said  Mrs.  Stewart, 
sympathetically.  "  She  should  be  saved  from  all 
excitement." 

"  But,  mother,"  persisted  Mary,  "  a  prayer-meet- 
ing should  be  a  safe  place  for  any  one  to  go — even 
an  expectant  mother — shouldn't  it?" 


260  DAVID  BALDWIN 

"  Certainly,  my  dear ;  certainly,  under  ordinary 
circumstances.  But  in  our  church,  it  seems,  one 
can  never  tell  what's  going  to  happen  next" 

"  I  suppose  it  will  be  Mr.  Brand's  turn  now. 
These  men  usually  take  turns  in  creating  such 
disturbances." 

Strange  to  relate,  this  remark  contained  the  ele- 
ments of  a  prediction. 


XIX 

THERE  are  some  experiences  in  life  im- 
possible of  description.  Before  your  first 
visit  to  the  seashore  you  had  read  well- 
written  descriptions  of  the  ocean ;  but  words  and 
sentences  and  skill  of  rhetoric  did  not  convey  to 
you  a  hundredth  part  of  the  meaning  which  you 
yourself  found  as  you  sat  for  hours  gazing  far  out 
upon  that  restless,  boundless  deep.  So,  too,  the 
young  soldier,  in  his  first  actual  engagement  with 
the  enemy,  learns  that  less  than  a  thousandth  part 
of  the  reality  of  battle  has  ever  been  transferred 
to  the  printed  page  or  could  be  thus  transferred. 

In  a  similar  manner  Mary  Stewart  and  her 
sisters  found  words  but  poor,  weak  instruments,  in 
their  endeavor  to  make  their  mother  realize  what 
had  happened  at  that  memorable  prayer-meeting, 
although  they  were  accustomed  to  using  words, 
were  these  sisters.  But  more  than  once  Mary  had 
to  resort  to  such  phrases  as, — "  Why,  mother,  it 
was  simply  awful ;  it  was  terrible." 

The  opinions  of  others  at  the  meeting  were 
equally  decided. 

"  The  most  abusive  speech  one  man  could  pos- 
sibly make  to  another,"  said  Mrs.  Strong.  And 
Mrs.  Terry  corroborated, 

"A  more  venomous  tirade  I  never  heard.  It 
took  us  so  by  surprise  we  didn't  know  what  to  do. 

261 


262  THE  MINISTRY  OF 

I  had  heard  Mr.  Driver  say  some  pretty  harsh 
things  before,  but  never  anything  so  unchristian, 
so  outrageous  as  this.  Truly,  I  do  not  believe  the 
man  is  in  his  right  mind.  In  many  respects  Mr. 
Driver  is  a  good  man.  But  to-night  he  couldn't 
have  acted  worse  if  he  had  been  possessed  of  the 
devil." 

"  Who  knows  but  that  he  was  ?  "  suggested  Miss 
Terry,  whose  religious  ideas  were  strictly  of  the 
modern  type.  "  You  know,  mother,  some  people 
still  believe  in  demoniacal  possession  as  mentioned 
in  the  New  Testament." 

"  I  more  than  half  believe  in  it  myself,"  said 
Mrs.  Terry.  "  My  daughter  and  I  do  not  agree 
on  many  of  these  questions,"  she  added.  "  But 
truly  it  would  be  a  relief  to  believe  that  Mr. 
Driver  was  possessed.  His  .eyes  emitted  sparks. 
I  never  saw  a  human  being  so  fierce." 

"  No,  it's  out  of  the  question,  Dominie,  for  you 
to  think  of  preaching  on  Sunday,"  said  Mr. 
Strong,  who  with  several  others  had  stopped  at 
the  pastor's  home  on  their  way  from  the  church. 
"  You  and  Mrs.  Baldwin  must  go  away  for  a  few 
days  and  try  to  get  this  miserable  affair  out  of 
your  minds.  If  you  don't  you  will  be  sick,  both  of 
you.  We'll  see  to  the  services." 

Mrs.  Terry  and  Mrs.  Wood  heartily  seconded 
Mr.  Strong's  suggestion. 

For  an  hour  they  sat  and  discussed  the  situa- 
tion. 

"  Well,  let  us  say  no  more  about  that  meeting. 


DAVID  BALDWIN  263 

It  seems  like  a  horrid  nightmare,  too  awful  to  be 
true,"  said  Mrs.  Strong.  "  The  best  thing  we  can 
do  is  to  dismiss  it  from  our  minds— if  we  can. 
The  avalanche  has  struck  us :  we  must  repair  the 
damages  as  far  as  possible." 

"  Yes,  as  far  as  possible.  But  some  damages  are 
irreparable,"  observed  Mrs.  Terry. 

"  I  wonder  how  you  could  sit  there  and  endure 
it  as  you  did  ! "  exclaimed  Mrs.  Strong  addressing 
her  pastor,  forgetful  of  the  advice  she  had  just 
given. 

"  Indeed,  I  am  surprised  at  it  myself,  now  that  I 
look  back  on  it,"  replied  Mr.  Baldwin.  "While 
Mr.  Driver  was  talking,  it  seemed  to  me  as  if  he 
were  berating  some  one  else,  yet  all  the  time  I 
knew  that  I  was  the  one.  But  how  I  managed  to 
sit  still  under  it  all,  is  more  than  I  can  under- 
stand." 

"  Why  didn't  some  of  you  men  get  up  and  stop 
him  ?  "  asked  Mrs.  Wood. 

"  We'll  take  a  constable  with  us  to  prayer-meet- 
ing after  this,"  said  Miss  Appleton. 

"  I  for  one  don't  feel  very  much  like  going  to 
prayer-meeting  again  very  soon,"  said  Miss  Fen- 
wick. 

With  an  unexpected  leave  of  absence  thrust 
upon  them,  the  next  question  was — where  should 
they  spend  it  ?  It  was  finally  decided  to  call  up 
the  Hiltons  by  long  distance  'phone. 

"  Yes,  we're  home  and  will  be  delighted  to  see 


264  THE  MINISTRY  OF 

you.  By  all  means  come  if  you  can  get  away," 
came  back  over  the  wire. 

"Well,  that's  settled.  We'll  take  the  nine 
o'clock  train  in  the  morning." 

The  Hiltons  had  visited  them  during  the  holi- 
days. Tom  Hilton  and  Baldwin  had  known  each 
other  intimately  in  the  Divinity  School ;  but  like 
many  other  such  friendships  theirs  would  doubtless 
have  languished  and  perhaps  finally  died,  had  it 
not  been  for  the  fortunate  circumstance  that  Tom 
Hilton  had  married  one  of  Miriam's  intimate  Vas- 
sar  friends.  He  was  now  pastor  of  an  important 
church  in  Madison. 

Hilton  was  a  little  older  than  Baldwin,  a  very 
brilliant  man,  known  in  his  student  days  as  a  warm 
champion  of  the  newer  thought ;  a  man  of  large 
soul  and  endowed  with  a  keen  sense  of  humor — 
just  the  kind  of  a  man  to  make  one  forget,  when 
to  forget  is  the  imperative  duty. 

He  was  at  the  station  as  their  train  pulled  in. 
His  welcome  was  characteristic. 

"  I  am  mighty  glad  you  could  come,"  said  he. 
"  The  fishing  season  has  just  opened,  and  I'm  in 
sad  need  of  some  one  to  do  the  rowing  while  I  pull 
'em  in.  Say,  but  you  won't  mind  rowing  all  the 
time,  will  you  ?  " 

Taking  the  street  car  they  rode  up  past  the 
capitol  square  and  down  on  the  other  side  to 
within  a  block  of  the  parsonage.  Mrs.  Tom,  as 
her  husband  fondly  called  his  wife,  welcomed 
Miriam  with  open  arms. 


DAVID  BALDWIN  265 

"  It  was  so  nice  of  you  to  think  of  us.  We  shall 
have  such  a  good  visit — there  are  so  many  things 
for  us  to  talk  about."  As  if  this  was  something 
unusual  between  two  members  of  her  sex,  especially 
when  they  had  been  in  college  together !  But 
even  though  it  were  unusual,  the  present  occasion 
more  than  fully  justified  the  remark  of  Miriam's 
friend,  since  both  were  approaching  the  high  and 
holy  experience  of  desired  motherhood. 

On  Saturday  morning  while  the  men  were  out 
on  Third  Lake  fishing,  Mrs.  Tom  took  Miriam 
into  her  own  room  ;  and  opening  a  drawer  in  the 
lower  part  of  her  dresser,  she  proceeded  to  exhibit 
certain  dainty  little  garments  for  Miriam's  inspec- 
tion, with  all  the  joy  and  pride  of  her  happy  heart. 

Meanwhile  Tom  and  David,  though  their  friend- 
ship was  in  its  way  as  intimate  as  the  friendship 
between  their  wives,  said  nothing  whatever  to 
each  other  concerning  the  great  event  in  question. 
Did  it  mean  nothing  to  them  ?  Far  from  it.  It 
was  one  of  their  most  constant  subjects  for 
thought ;  but  being  men,  they  did  not  discuss  it 
between  themselves. 

"  I  ought  to  insist  on  your  preaching  both 
morning  and  evening,"  said  Tom,  reeling  in  his 
line,  the  boat  being  anchored  near  a  patch  of 
reeds  at  the  upper  end  of  the  lake.  "  I  fancy  I'll 
get  that  fellow  this  time,"  and  away  his  line  flew 
off  to  the  right  of  the  bunch  of  reeds.  It  struck 
the  water  and  sank  a  few  feet.  Tom  reeled 
slowly,  his  eyes  fixed  on  a  certain  spot,  his  body 


266  THE  MINISTRY  OF 

held  in  instant  readiness  to  obey  when  the  signal 
came  traveling  up  to  his  hands.  An  instant  he 
waited;  an  instant  more.  The  current  carried 
the  line  a  little  farther  out.  Would  that  big 
fellow  never  take  the  hook  ?  Tom  knew  he  was 
there.  Again  the  line  was  cast  in  exactly  the 
same  spot.  It  floated  off  as  before  and  Tom  be- 
gan to  reel  it  in.  The  fish  was  sulky,  and  would 
not  bite. 

"  I'll  try  the  other  side,"  thought  Tom.  He  be- 
gan to  reel  in  the  line  when  a  quick  jerk  told  him 
that  the  big  bass  had  changed  his  mind  also. 

"  Watch  him,  Baldwin!  Watch  him !  He 
races  like  a  mustang  ! " 

Tom  let  him  have  plenty  of  line,  so  long  as  the 
pull  was  strong ;  but  the  instant  the  strain  eased 
up,  he  held  his  captive  well  in  check,  taking  in 
the  line  or  paying  it  out  as  was  necessary.  Sev- 
eral minutes  elapsed.  Tom  let  the  fish  take  its 
own  time  in  getting  thoroughly  tired  ;  he  was 
then  able  to  lead  him  with  little  difficulty. 

"  That  makes  seven,"  said  he,  safely  landing  the 
bass.  "  Aren't  they  beauties !  Yes,  I'll  let  you 
off  this  time  with  only  the  morning  service.  My 
congregation,  you  know,  doesn't  often  get  the 
chance  of  hearing  a  good  sermon.  Two  in  one 
day,  I  fear,  might  prove  too  much  of  a  good 
thing." 

"  I  agree  with  you,"  said  Baldwin ;  "  especially 
since  I  wish  to  hear  you  preach." 

So  Baldwin  preached  in  the  morning  and  Hil- 


DAVID  BALDWIN  267 

ton  in  the  evening.  When  their  lunch  after  the 
evening  service  was  finished,  the  ladies  withdrew, 
leaving  the  two  men  alone.  They  sat  for  an  hour 
and  talked  of  old  times. 

"  Tom,  there's  one  thing  I  want  to  ask  you," 
said  Baldwin,  turning  somewhat  abruptly  from 
the  topic  they  were  discussing. 

"  All  right ;  fire  away,  old  man,  only  don't  make 
your  question  too  hard."  Hilton  looked  at  his 
friend  rather  curiously. 

"  Well,  it's  this — and  you  needn't  answer  it  un- 
less you  have  a  mind  to — but  I  would  like  to 
know,  Hilton,  how  it  is  that  a  man  holding  the 
views  you  do,  can  preach  the  sermon  you  preached 
this  evening  ?  " 

Hilton  slid  down  in  his  easy-chair,  crossed  one 
foot  over  the  other,  pursed  his  lips,  and  from 
eyes  half  shut  looked  steadily  for  a  moment  into 
the  serious  face  of  his  friend.  Baldwin's  question 
probed  deeper  than  it  was  intended  it  should. 
While  the  sermon  Hilton  had  preached  that  even- 
ing was  a  well  prepared  discourse,  delivered  with 
grace  and  energy,  the  conceptions  of  life  and  of 
the  religious  experience  which  it  contained  were 
conceptions  which  in  their  student  days  both  men 
had  found  impossible  to  retain,  in  view  of  the 
teachings  of  modern  psychology. 

"  Your  question,  old  man,"  began  Hilton,  at 
last,  speaking  very  slowly,  "  is  one  I  wouldn't 
care  to  answer  before  a  houseful — you  understand. 
But  inter  nos  it's  different.  I  don't  mind  telling 


238  THE  MINISTRY  OF   . 

you,  frankly,  since  you  have  asked  me  the  ques- 
tion, that  my  reasons  for  preaching  that  kind  of  a 
sermon  have  just  gone  up  to  bed." 

"  You  mean "  hesitated  Baldwin. 

"  Yes ;  I  mean  my  wife  and  the  prospective 
little  one." 

Neither  of  the  men  spoke  for  a  moment. 

"  I  beg  your  pardon,  Tom,  old  man  ;  I  shouldn't 
have  asked  so  personal  a  question,"  said  Baldwin 
finally. 

"  Oh,  that's  all  right,  Baldwin.  Don't  think  of 
it  for  an  instant.  I'm  sure  there's  no  need  of 
secrets  between  us.  But  it  does  cut  a  little  to  face 
the  issue  squarely.  The  fact  is,  the  martyr-stuff 
is  not  over-abundant  in  my  make  up.  I  have  a 
good  church  here  and  want  to  stay ;  I  have  a 
family  to  support ;  the  ruling  element  in  my 
church  is  very  conservative  ;  and — well — the 
truth  of  the  matter  is,  Baldwin,  between  you  and 
me  I  am  not  preaching  just  the  kind  of  sermons 
I'd  like  to  preach.  The  conceptions  of  life  that  are 
dearest  to  me,  I  don't  put  into  my  sermons. 
Why  ?  Because  I  have  a  family  to  support.  And 
God  only  knows  how  this  fact  bears  down  upon 
a  man  sometimes  ! " 

Baldwin  knit  his  brow.  Here  was  food  for 
thought. 

"  And  mine  is  no  solitary  instance,  I  can  assure 
you,"  continued  Hilton  ;  "  though,  of  course,  that's 
nothing  really  in  my  favor.  In  nearly  all  of  the 
denominations  the  younger  ministers  are  having 


DAVID  BALDWIN  269 

to  meet  the  same  situation.  Some  are  solving 
it  in  one  way,  and  some  in  another." 

"  Yes,  this  transition  from  the  old  to  the  new 
is  not  confined  to  any  community  or  church.  It's 
taking  place  everywhere  that  men  and  women 
are  being  awakened  to  think  for  themselves ;  and 
to  my  mind  this  revolution  in  religious  thinking 
is  a  greater  one  than  was  the  Reformation  in 
Luther's  time." 

"  I  think  so  too,"  answered  Hilton.  "  Do  you 
know,  Baldwin,"  he  went  on,  "  if  I  had  my  time 
to  go  over  again,  I  should  not  marry,  or  else  I 
should  give  up  the  ministry — one  or  the  other. 
No  man  loves  his  family  more  than  I  do,  God 
knows,  and  no  man  is  more  lost  without  a  home 
of  his  own ;  yet  if  I  had  it  to  do  over  again,  I 
should  remain  single.  For  a  minister  to  have  a 
free  hand  in  helping  on  this  movement,  he  should 
have  either  no  family  or  an  independent  income. 
That  is  the  way  I  feel  about  it.  With  a  family  de- 
pending on  him,  a  man  is  not  free  to  preach  the 
message  that  burns  in  his  own  soul,  when  to  do  so 
endangers  his  support." 

"  In  my  case,  however,"  rejoined  David,  "  the 
church  stipulated  as  one  of  the  conditions  in  my 
call,  that  I  should  get  married  before  beginning 
my  work.  And  I  am  glad  they  did.  For  my 
part  I  haven't  come  to  feel  just  as  you  do ;  but,  of 
course,  each  one  must  solve  these  problems  in  his 
own  way.  We  have  our  problems  at  Tioga,  I 
can  assure  you  ;  the  fact  is— -but  I  have  promised 


270  THE  MINISTRY  OF 

Miriam  that  I  would  not  get  to  discussing  the 
situation  at  Tioga  at  all.  We  had  an  explosion 
at  our  midweek  service  last  week — but  I  must  not 
say  another  word  about  it.  By  the  way,  have  you 
had  any  wedding  experiences  that  come  up  to  my 
*  beeswax  fee'  ?" 

"  I've  had  two  interesting  cases  since  the  holi- 
days but  I  do  not  think  they  quite  equal  that  ex- 
perience you  were  telling  me  about.  I've  laughed 
over  that  a  half-dozen  times." 

"What  were  yours  like?"  asked  Baldwin  set- 
tling himself  to  hear  Hilton's  story. 

"Well,  the  first  one,"  began  Hilton  with  a  zest 
characteristic  of  clergymen  when  they  are  ex- 
changing stories,  "  the  first  one  was  quite  a  swell 
affair,  the  bride  being  a  wealthy  spinster,  a  typical 
old  maid  but  with  money  enough  to  support 
several  ordinary  families.  The  groom  I  had 
never  seen  before  nor  since.  He  was  a  man  past 
middle  life,  dressed  in  the  height  of  fashion  and  of 
very  imposing  appearance, — a  man  with  a  million 
couldn't  have  cut  a  wider  swath. 

"  Well,  after  I  had  performed  the  marriage,  the 
groom  himself  very  graciously  handed  me  an  en- 
velope, accompanying  the  act  with  unbounded 
dignity.  I  carefully  tucked  the  precious  envelope 
into  one  of  my  deepest  pockets.  It  was,  of  course, 
some  time  before  I  got  the  opportunity  to  open  the 
envelope  ;  and  when  I  did  so,  its  contents,  neatly 
folded,  slipped  out  into  my  hand.  My  surprise 
couldn't  have  been  greater." 


DAVID  BALDWIN  271 

"  How  much  was  it  ?  "  asked  Baldwin. 

"  I  stared  at  it  for  a  moment,  unable  to  believe 
my  eyes.  The  envelope  contained,  instead  of  a 
fee,  an  advertisement  for  corns  and  bunions ! 
The  man  was  a  fake.  The  woman  came  back 
without  him,  after  a  few  weeks." 

"  That  was  one  on  you,"  laughed  Baldwin. 
"  You  will  be  tempted  to  make  them  pay  in  ad- 
vance, after  this.  But  what  was  your  other  ex- 
perience like?" 

"  Oh,  the  other  one  wasn't  funny.  It  was  simply 
a  mistake,  yet  it  was  laughable,  too.  It  came  out 
all  right  in  the  end,  however,  and  that  was  the  best 
of  it. 

"  We'd  had  a  nice  church  wedding,  and  the  best 
man  handed  me  a  neat  little  parcel  done  up  in  tis- 
sue paper.  It  looked  about  the  size  of  one  or  two 
bills  folded  together  very  compactly.  When  I 
opened  the  package  I  knew  that  some  one  had 
made  a  mistake,  but  I  didn't  say  anything. 

"  A  few  weeks  later  when  the  bridal  party  re- 
turned from  Europe,  the  young  man  who  had 
handed  me  the  package  came  to  me  and  said  that 
he  hoped  I  would  pardon  his  blunder  and  gave 
me  another  little  package  quite  similar  in  appear- 
ance to  the  one  he  had  given  on  the  day  of  the 
wedding. 

"  '  Do  you  wish  the  other  one  back? '  I  asked. 

"  '  I  hardly  think  it  would  be  worth  while,'  he 
answered  laughing.  '  Tobacco  is  too  cheap.'  " 

"  Tobacco  ?  "  said  Baldwin. 


272  THE  MINISTRY  OF 

"  Yes.  The  first  package  contained  a  nice  lit- 
tle wad  of  chewing  tobacco.  The  fellow  was  so 
grateful  to  me  for  keeping  the  matter  quiet  that, 
out  of  pure  gratitude,  he  went  and  got  married 
himself  so  that  I  might  have  another  fee." 

"  Very  probably,"  laughed  Baldwin.  "  Let  me 
see, — yes  it  was  since  I  saw  you  last  that  I  had  a 
very  peculiar  case  in  the  way  of  a  marriage.  A 
man  came  to  me  and  wanted  to  know  if  I  would 
marry  him  and  his  wife  over  again." 

"  Marry  them  over  again  ?     Had  they  parted  ?  " 

"  No.  They  were  living  together  happily  as 
they  had  been  doing  for  twelve  or  fourteen  years. 
There  were  several  children  in  the  family  and  the 
man  was  a  steady,  industrious  fellow  employed  in 
the  iron  foundry.  I  knew  the  family  quite  well. 

"  '  Why  do  you  wish  to  be  married  again  ?  '  I 
asked. 

"  *  Well,  it's  this  way,'  said  he,  showing  no  little 
embarrassment  and  confusion,  *  when  the  minister 
married  us,  we  didn't  get  no  certificate,  an'  we 
haven't  anything  to  show  that  we  ever  were  really 
married.  You  see  our  children  are  now  growin'  up 
and  Kate  and  me  felt  kinder  uneasy  on  their  ac- 
count, an'  we  thought  p'raps  it  would  be  safer  to 
get  married  now — I  mean  over  again.  It  would 
be  safer  in  case  anything  should  ever  happen.' 

"  I  asked  him  a  number  of  questions  and  from 
his  replies  I  became  convinced  that  he  had  never 
been  married  at  all.  I  hardly  knew  what  to  do. 
What  would  you  have  done  ? ' 


DAVID  BALDWIN  273 

"  I  would  have  married  them,  of  course.  Didn't 
you  ?  " 

"  Yes.  I  thought  it  best  not  to  make  any  in- 
vestigation. I  took  the  case  as  he  represented  it 
and  married  them  over  again." 

"  It  was  strange  that  they  didn't  ask  you  to  date 
their  certificate  back  to  the  time  when  they  began 
living  together,"  said  Hilton. 

"They  did  ask  it.  But  of  course  I  couldn't  do 
it.  I  never  have  done  such  a  thing  and  I  never 
will." 

"It  is  sometimes  exceedingly  hard  to  refuse, 
though.  I  had  such  a  case  last  year.  The  young 
man  all  but  got  down  on  his  knees  to  me.  I  knew 
him  well,  too  ;  but  I  told  him  that  was  one  thing 
I  could  not  do,  misdate  a  marriage  certificate.  I 
tell  you  what,  Baldwin,  a  preacher  has  lots  of  op- 
portunity for  making  a  first-hand  study  of  human 
nature.  He  meets  people  intimately  and  under 
all  kinds  of  conditions  and  circumstances.  Human 
nature  is  a  pretty  big  subject,  too,  isn't  it  ?  I  feel 
that  I  am  only  on  the  ragged  edge  of  it  and  in  the 
primer  class  at  that ;  but  I  am  learning  some  les- 
sons which  I  hope  never  to  forget.  One  of  them 
is  this :  I  am  convinced  that  in  cases  of  wrong- 
doing, if  we  could  only  know  the  circumstances 
more  fully,  we  would  be  more  lenient  and  merciful 
in  our  judgments.  The  great  sin  of  the  world,  to 
my  mind,  is  neither  drunkenness,  nor  immorality, 
nor  dishonesty,  nor  any  of  the  vices  for  the  com- 
mittal of  which  society  places  a  stigma  upon  its 


274  DAVID  BALDWIN 

members.  The  great  sin  of  humanity  is  some- 
thing quite  different  and,  in  my  humble  judgment, 
does  more  harm  in  every  community  than  all  of 
these  I  have  named  put  together. 

"No,"  he  continued  as  they  rose  to  retire;  "I 
will  not  tell  you  the  name  of  what  I  have  in  mind. 
But  think  it  out  for  yourself.  I  am  quite  sure  you 
will  agree  with  me.  Good-night,  old  man,  and 
pleasant  dreams." 


XX 

"  ^  ~\  7  HAT  is  your  subject  this  morning, 

YY  dear?" 

The  Baldwins  were  starting  for 
church.  On  the  previous  day  they  had  returned 
to  Tioga  from  their  visit  with  the  Hiltons,  greatly 
benefited  by  their  week's  relaxation.  All  too  short 
had  been  the  days  for  Miriam  and  her  dear  friend 
Mrs.  Tom — so  many  topics  were  there  for  these 
two  women  to  discuss,  so  many  questions  each  had 
to  ask  the  other.  In  Mrs.  Tom,  Miriam  found  all 
that  her  heart  had  been  hungering  for — some  one 
with  whom  she  could  share  her  great  happiness. 

The  trip  had  done  David  good,  also.  He  had 
looked  at  his  work  from  a  distance — a  very  need- 
ful thing  for  any  one  to  do  now  and  then ;  for 
nearness  is  apt  to  destroy  one's  sense  of  per- 
spective. In  coming  back  to  his  work  he  de- 
termined to  be  more  moderate,  more  conciliatory, 
if  possible ;  he  could  understand  that  it  was  diffi- 
cult for  some  of  the  older  members  of  his  congre- 
gation to  adjust  themselves  to  new  ideas  and  to 
modern  methods,  having  been  all  their  lives  ac- 
customed to  those  they  had  inherited ;  doubtless  he 
had  advanced  more  innovations  than  he  had  been 
aware,  even  though  he  had  studiously  endeavored 
to  be  moderate,  so  completely  a  part  of  his  life 
were  the  newer  thoughts  and  ways. 

275 


276  THE  MINISTRY  OF 

In  keeping  with  this  determination  he  decided 
to  drop  the  responses  and  other  changes  he  had 
introduced  in  the  morning  service,  to  drop  them 
not  because  of  Mr.  Driver's  threat,  but  because  he 
was  a  minister  of  peace  and  it  was  sometimes  a 
higher  virtue  to  yield  than  to  contend.  Further, 
in  selecting  topics  for  his  sermons  he  would  try  to 
pick  out  themes  containing  a  large  element  of  com- 
mon ground,  common  to  both  the  older  and  the 
newer  thought ;  themes  on  which  he  could  express 
himself  freely  without  disturbing  his  conservative 
hearers. 

"I  shall  speak  this  morning  on  missions,"  he 
replied  to  his  wife's  question.  "  A  long  time  ago 
some  of  the  ladies  asked  me  to  preach  a  sermon 
on  missions,  but  I  kept  putting  it  off,  and  now  I 
am  glad  I  did.  The  subject  will  come  in  all  right 
just  at  this  time." 

"  Yes,  missions  ought  to  be  a  safe  subject  for  any 
one  to  speak  on  in  almost  any  church.  While  it  is 
doubtless  best,  dear,  for  you  to  be  as  moderate  as 
you  can  be,  I  wouldn't  for  the  world  have  you 
adopt  Tom  Hilton's  policy  of  suppressing  the 
newer  thought  altogether." 

"  I  think  you  need  have  no  fears  along  that 
line,"  laughed  David.  "  I  couldn't  suppress  it  if  I 
tried.  It's  too  large  a  part  of  my  life.  I  shall 
make  a  desperate  effort,  however,  to  be  very  mod- 
erate, to  emphasize  the  points  we  hold  in  common, 
as  strongly  as  I  can.  But  what  a  delightful  morn- 
ing this  is ! " 


DAVID  BALDWIN  277 

"  Yes  ;  it's  the  first  Sunday  in  May.  The  mira- 
cle of  returning  life  is  in  evidence  everywhere." 

"  See  those  buds !  Those  trees  will  soon  be 
covered  with  leaves.  When  I  was  a  boy  we  always 
planted  corn  when  the  maples  began  to  leaf  out." 

"Why  was  that?" 

"  It  was  thought  that  all  danger  of  frost  was  then 
past.  But  I  mustn't  talk  any  more  now  or  my 
opening  prayer  will  suffer  for  it." 

With  joyous  step  these  two  worshipers  joined 
the  stream  of  people  on  their  way  up  town  to  the 
various  churches. 

On  the  moment  that  the  organ  voluntary  began, 
Baldwin  entered  his  pulpit.  The  service  was  con- 
ducted without  response  or  chant,  with  all  the  se- 
vere simplicity  of  the  old-time  New  England  meet- 
ing house.  By  the  close  of  the  opening  exercises, 
two  or  three  of  the  older  brethren,  whose  names 
are  not  to  be  mentioned  in  this  narrative,  settled 
themselves  down  into  the  most  comfortable  position 
possible,  closed  their  eyes  and  were  soon,  to  all 
intents  and  purposes,  enjoying  their  usual  morn- 
ing— worship ;  I  had  almost  used  another  word. 

In  front  of  the  speaker,  nor  far  from  the  middle 
of  the  church,  sat  Dr.  and  Mrs.  James ;  behind 
them,  on  the  left,  were  the  Ellwoods ;  in  the  rear 
half  of  the  central  block  of  seats  were  a  number  of 
university  students.  On  one  side  of  the  church 
sat  Mr.  Brand  and  his  wife  ;  on  the  other  side,  Mr. 
Driver  and  his  family.  The  church  was  well  filled 
and  many  strange  faces  were  in  the  audience. 


278  THE  MINISTRY  OF 

Sermons  in  books  are  not  often  interesting  read- 
ing. Too  often  they  fail  to  hold  the  attention  even 
when  reinforced  by  the  preacher's  voice  and  per- 
sonality. But  Baldwin's  audience  gave  him  ex- 
cellent attention.  It  is  highly  probable,  however, 
that  very  few  of  his  hearers  could  have  told  on 
the  next  day  much  about  the  sermon,  had  it  not 
been  for  what  happened  immediately  at  its  close, 
while  the  preacher  was  opening  his  hymn-book  to 
announce  the  number  of  the  closing  hymn.  What 
happened  set  a  hundred  tongues  to  discussing  the 
discourse  for  many  days  to  come. 

And  the  thing  that  happened  was  this  :  Mr. 
Brand  quickly  rose  from  his  seat,  stood  in  the 
aisle  by  his  pew,  and  without  addressing  the  pas- 
tor, began  to  speak.  His  words  came  as  a  shock 
— a  proverbial  thunderbolt  out  of  a  clear  sky. 

"  We  have  been  hearing  strange  things  this 
morning,  brothers  ;  strange  doctrines  to  come  from 
the  pulpit  of  a  church  of  our  denomination  ! " 

The  effect  was  electrical.  The  preacher  paused 
with  hymn-book  half  open  ;  instantly  half  of  the 
congregation  turned  in  their  seats,  while  the  rest 
leaned  forward  with  eyes  in  Brand's  direction. 
All  held  their  breath  in  the  intenseness  of  their 
expectation.  What  would  he  say?  What  was 
he  going  to  do  ?  What  strange  things  have  they 
been  listening  to,  unsuspectingly?  Miriam  sat 
where  she  could  not  see  Mr.  Brand  without  turn- 
ing, and  she  did  not  move  in  her  seat ;  but  she  in- 
stantly recognized  his  voice,  and  the  color  left  her 


DAVID  BALDWIN  279 

cheek.  A  strange  apprehension  seized  her  as  she 
clutched  the  arm  of  the  seat,  awaiting  she  knew 
not  what.  A  tightness  settled  about  her  heart  and 
she  began  to  feel  faint  for  the  first  time  in  her  life. 

"  I  repeat  that  we  have  been  hearing  strange 
doctrines  this  morning,  very  strange  indeed  to 
come  from  the  pulpit  of  this  church,"  said  Mr. 
Brand,  still  holding  every  one  in  suspense.  "  If 
what  our  pastor  says  be  true,  then  I  for  one, — and 
I  am  persuaded  that  there  are  many  others  in  this 
audience, — have  been  studying  the  Bible  in  the 
bondage  of  error,  lo  these  many  years.  For  our 
pastor  tells  us  one  thing  and  our  Bible,  as  we 
have  studied  it,  tells  us  another.  But  it  may  be 
that  our  pastor's  Bible  is  not  like  ours.  I  have 
more  than  once  thought  that  his  Bible  must  be  a 
different  kind  from  mine." 

Miriam  grasped  her  seat  tighter  and  tighter  as 
these  words  sounded  in  her  ears ;  the  feeling  of 
suffocation  was  almost  overpowering  her,  as  Mr. 
Brand  went  on. 

"My  Bible  teaches  very  plainly  that  without 
Christ  the  heathen  will  be  cast  into  eternal  perdi- 
tion, punishment  everlasting  and  without  end. 
But  our  pastor  has  just  told  us  that  the  present 
missionary  motive  is  not  to  rescue  the  heathen 
from  eternal  punishment ;  he  tells  that  though  the 
earlier  missionary  motive  was  undoubtedly  to  res- 
cue the  heathen  from  such  punishment,  that  now 
in  the  light  of  our  modern  conceptions  of  God — I 
believe  I  am  using  his  exact  words — the  Christian 


280  THE  MINISTRY  OF 

world  is  finding  it  impossible  to  continue  holding 
that  belief. 

"  Brethren,  it  is  such  teaching  as  this  that  is 
sapping  the  very  life  of  missionary  effort  in  some 
of  the  other  denominations.  I  for  one  protest 
against  its  introduction  into  our  denomination. 
We  stand  with  both  feet  on  the  Word  of  God. 
We  acknowledge  no  other  authority.  For  us 
there  is  no  other  authority  than  the  Bible.  In  the 
inspired  Word,  which  I  accept  from  cover  to 
cover,  God  has  revealed  his  holy  will  once  for  all 
time.  But  our  pastor  does  not  quote  the  Bible  as 
the  authority  for  his  statement.  His  authority  is 
of  an  entirely  different  kind — '  in  the  light  of  our 
modern  conceptions  of  Deity  ' —  I  believe  he  used 
the  word  '  deity.' 

"  Brethren,  in  my  humble  judgment,  the  time 
has  fully  come  when  we  should  decide  whether 
this  church  is  to  remain  true  to  the  fundamental 
doctrines  of  the  Word  of  God,  or  not.  For  one, 
and  I  speak  for  others,  it  is  exceedingly  painful 
for  me  to  have  to  listen,  Sunday  after  Sunday,  to 
the  proclamation  of  doctrines  not  only  not  biblical, 
but  calculated  to  undermine  the  very  foundations 
of  our  denominational  existence." 

David  Baldwin  stood  behind  his  pulpit  as  one 
paralyzed,  speechless.  The  audience,  amazed, 
nonplussed,  held  its  breath,  as  one  man.  Miriam 
was  nerving  herself  with  all  the  command  of  will 
she  could  summon,  to  keep  possession  of  her 
senses.  If  only  she  could  get  up  and  go  out ;  but 


DAVID  BALDWIN  281 

she  did  not  dare  trust  herself  to  make  the  effort — 
she  felt  so  faint  and  dizzy.  Oh,  if  only  Mr.  Brand 
would  stop  talking ! 

But  Mr.  Brand  was  speaking  rapidly  and  had 
no  thought  of  stopping  yet.  Too  long,  far  too  long 
had  the  pent  up  force  of  this  outbreak  been  gath- 
ering. 

"  To  many  of  you,"  he  continued,  including  the 
audience  with  a  gesture,  "  not  having  been  trained 
by  special  study  in  the  beliefs  of  the  denomina- 
tion, the  danger  I  have  indicated  may  not  be  ap- 
parent. But,  brethren,  as  most  of  you  know,  I 
spent  three  years  in  studying  theology  and  I  know 
whereof  I  speak.  I  have  prayed  to  be  delivered 
from  this  unpleasant  and  painful  duty ;  but  if  I 
should  keep  still  any  longer  I  should  feel  recreant 
both  to  my  God  and  to  my  conscience,  and  would 
no  longer  be  able  to  look  my  brethren  in  the  face. 
Knowledge  brings  with  it  responsibilities  and  im- 
perative duties.  I  have  sometimes  even  wished 
that  I  did  not  possess  this  knowledge  of  sacred 
things  ;  at  this  moment  I  would  gladly  have  it  laid 
upon  the  shoulders  of  any  of  my  brethren,  feeling 
certain  that  it  would  compel  him  to  arise  in  this 
church  service  and  defend  the  doctrines  we  cherish 
so  dearly,  doctrines  delivered  to  us  as  a  priceless 
heritage,  made  doubly  sacred  by  the  multitude  of 
men  and  women  who  have  willingly  endured  im- 
prisonment, nameless  tortures,  and  even  the  stake, 
rather  than  be  faithless  to  these  beliefs,  leaving  us 
a  noble  example. 


282  THE  MINISTRY  OF 

"  Now,  brethren,  it  is  our  turn.  Shall  we  prove 
ourselves  worthy  of  the  high  task  committed  to 
our  care?  Shall  we  hand  down  to  succeeding 
generations  these  beliefs  and  practices  as  pure  and 
undefiled  as  when  we  received  them  ?  I  know  the 
answer  that  lies  in  your  hearts,  friends,  neighbors, 
members  of  this  church  ;  I  know  your  loyalty  to 
truth  ;  I  know  your  love  for  the  good  old  beliefs  of 
your  fathers  and  mothers  ;  I  know  it  is  needed  only 
to  bring  this  subject  to  your  attention  in  order  for 
you  to  see  your  plain,  your  unmistakable  duty. 
You  are  resolved,  I  know  I  read  your  hearts 
aright,  you  are  resolved, — let  other  denominations 
follow  after  the  uninspired  teachings  of  modern 
thought  if  they  will, — you  are  resolved  to  demand 
that  the  preaching  in  this  church  shall  no  longer 
be  antagonistic  to  the  beliefs  and  practices  we 
dearly  cherish  ;  that  our  pastor  be  requested  either 
to  conform  to " 

"  Stop  !  Not  another  word  !  Not  another 
word  more,  or  I'll  pitch  you  headlong  out  of  that 
door  ! "  interrupted  Professor  Strong  facing  Mr. 
Brand  with  a  look  which  plainly  indicated  he 
meant  all  he  said  and  more.  "  Sit  down  !  I  say, 
sit  down  !  Can't  you  see  that  you  have  already 
killed  the  pastor's  wife  ?  " 

Brand,  silenced,  sat  down. 

Miriam  had  fainted.  David,  leaping  from  the 
pulpit  platform,  was  at  her  side  in  an  instant. 
Dr.  Wood  arose  and  hurried  to  Baldwin's  assist- 
ance. 


DAVID  BALDWIN  283 

The  audience,  not  having  been  dismissed,  and 
held  by  the  habit  of  awaiting  the  benediction,  re- 
mained seated.  Mr.  Strong  stepped  to  the  front. 

"  We  are  dismissed,"  said  he.  "  Please  pass  out 
as  quietly  and  quickly  as  possible.  Mrs.  Baldwin 
is  ill — no  one  knows  how  seriously.  Wait !  There 
will  be  no  further  services  in  this  church  to-day. 
That  is  all.  We  are  dismissed." 

With  soft  tread  and  hushed  voices  the  people 
passed  quietly  out  of  the  auditorium,  many  linger- 
ing a  moment  at  the  doors  to  cast  a  backward 
glance  at  the  little  group  about  the  pastor's  wife. 
The  physician's  face  was  very  grave.  This  stop- 
ping of  the  action  of  the  heart  might  mean,  in  her 
case,  something  far  more  serious  than  ordinarily. 

Strong  had  a  carriage  at  the  door  within  a  few 
minutes.  Tenderly  David  and  the  doctor  and  Mr. 
Strong  carried  the  unconscious  woman  to  her  home, 
taking  her  thus  from  the  church  service  to  which 
she  had  set  out  so  joyously  two  hours  before. 
What  an  unexpected  experience  the  hours  had 
brought  her  ! 

All  that  day  and  all  that  night  David  Baldwin 
was  at  Miriam's  bedside.  A  trained  nurse  was 
summoned  and  the  physician  was  present  a  large 
part  of  the  time.  As  the  dawn  was  breaking  over 
the  eastern  horizon,  a  double  sorrow  was  meted  out 
to  this  anxious,  watching  husband  :  he  gazed  upon 
the  face  of  his  first-born  son,  but  it  was  the  face  of  a 
child  born  dead.  His  heart  seemed  torn  asunder 
as  this  sad  fact  beat  in  upon  his  slow  powers  of 


284  DAVID  BALDWIN 

comprehension.  His  child  dead  !  Impossible  ! 
He  could  not  believe  it.  But  the  cruel  fact  was  as 
obstinate  as  it  was  cruel.  The  child  to  whose  com- 
ing he  and  Miriam  had  looked  forward  so  fondly,  so 
expectantly,  who  seemed  to  them  already  the  third 
member  of  their  little  family — this  child  was  dead 
— born  a  corpse  ! 

And  the  other  sorrow  was  even  greater,  if  pos- 
sible, than  the  first :  but  the  full  meaning  of  it  was 
not  borne  in  on  his  confused  mind  till  later — only 
little  by  little  and  after  hours  and  days  of  hoping 
against  hope,  did  he  comprehend  the  bitterness  of 
the  cup  placed  to  his  unwilling  lips — the  powers 
of  Miriam's  mind  were  dethroned,  her  reason  had 
fled! 

Crushed  and  broken-hearted,  David  Baldwin  re- 
fused to  be  comforted  ;  for  his  anguish  of  heart  was 
great. 

"  Oh,  the  mystery  of  human  suffering ! "  he 
cried.  "  Who  can  solve  it  ?  Who  can  add  a  ray 
of  light  to  its  meaning  ?  Not  one  step  in  human 
progress  can  be  taken  but  that  some  one  must  suf- 
fer. Not  one  new  idea  can  make  its  way  into 
human  thought  except  some  one  must  pave  its 
way  by  suffering.  What,  oh,  what  can  be  the 
meaning  of  it  all  ?  " 

Such  were  some  of  the  thoughts  surging  through 
David  Baldwin's  mind.  He  was  unconsciously 
echoing  a  cry  never  very  far  from  the  human  heart 
since  man  began  to  think  on  the  great  experiences 
of  his  existence. 


XXI 

THE  hands  of  the  little  clock  on  David 
Baldwin's  study  desk  were  nearing  the 
midnight  hour,  yet  he  was  still  sitting 
there,  a  sheet  of  paper,  finely  written,  in  his  hand. 
On  his  face  were  traces  of  the  inner  conflict  in 
whose  midst  he  was  still  held  after  a  whole  even- 
ing's struggle. 

The  six  interminable  weeks  of  Miriam's  mental 
derangement  had  grown  deep  lines  on  David's 
face  and  sprinkled  his  temples  generously  with 
gray  ;  but  those  weeks,  thank  God  1  were  past  and 
for  the  space  of  a  month  she  had  been  slowly  re- 
gaining her  strength  both  of  mind  and  body.  Her 
first  question,  as  her  mind  was  clearing,  was  to  see 
her  baby — she  did  not  know  it  was  dead. 

"  Is  the  baby  all  right  ?  "  she  asked.  "  I  hope  it 
is  a  boy ;  David  so  wanted  a  boy."  Her  eyes 
searched  the  nurse's  face. 

"  Yes,  dear  Mrs.  Baldwin,  your  baby  is  a  boy," 
answered  the  nurse. 

"  Oh,  I  am  so  glad." 

"  You  are  not  at  all  strong  yet  and  you  must 
not  talk  any  more  now,"  added  the  nurse. 

"But  you  will  let  me  have  just  one  look  at  him, 
nurse,  just  one  look  at  my  dear,  dear  baby,  won't 
you,  before  I  go  to  sleep  again  ?  " 

285 


286  THE  MINISTRY  OF 

"  Dear  Mrs.  Baldwin,  I  would  like  to  bring  him 
to  you  but  he  ought  not  to  be  disturbed  just 
now." 

"  Of  course.     If  he's  asleep  I  can  wait." 

On  the  next  day,  however,  the  cruel  words  had 
to  be  spoken. 

"  It's  a  boy,  David;  aren't  you  glad?"  Miriam 
said  looking  into  the  eyes  of  her  husband,  her 
mind  quite  clear  again.  "  But  I  haven't  seen  him. 
You  will  show  him  to  me,  won't  you,  dear?" 

For  an  answer  David  stooped  and  kissed  her 
cheek.  A  tear  escaped  him  and  fell  upon  her  fore- 
head. Miriam's  eyes  searched  his  own. 

"  Why  don't  you  speak,  dear ;  is  anything  the 
matter?  Isn't  the  baby  all  right?  Is  he  de- 
formed ?  Is  that  why  no  one  will  show  him  to 
me?  Why,  David,  I'll  love  him  just  the  same. 
I'll  love  him  even  more.  Please  let  me  see  him 
if  only  for  one  little  minute,"  she  pleaded. 

"  Miriam,  dearest  sweetheart,  our  baby  is  not 
deformed." 

"Oh,  I  am  so  thankful."  The  anxious  look 
faded  away.  "  Now  you  will  bring  the  dear  little 
fellow  to  his  mother  who  loves  him  so  ?  Bless  his 
heart,  he  must  be  getting  hungry." 

"  Miriam,  dearest,  I  cannot  bring  him  to  you." 

"Why?"  she  cried. 

David  buried  his  face  in  his  hands,  unable  to 
speak,  the  great  lump  in  his  throat  making  utter- 
ance impossible. 

"  David,  dear,  I  know  what  you  would  say  to 


DAVID  BALDWIN  287 

me :  our  baby  is  dead  ? "  Though  she  meant  it 
for  a  statement,  the  question  was  in  her  voice. 

David  managed  to  say,  "Yes " 

44  Dead?  My  God !  My  baby  dead  1 "  A  mer- 
ciful unconsciousness  stole  over  her,  robbing  the 
hour  of  further  anguish. 

The  direful  consequences  following  Mr.  Brand's 
outbreak  at  church  that  Sunday  morning  had 
brought  down  upon  him  such  severe  criticism  that 
he  was  forced  to  take  refuge  in  silence  and  inac- 
tion. Among  others,  Mrs.  Strong  and  Mrs.  Wood 
called  on  him  and  begged  that  he  cease  his  oppo- 
sition to  their  pastor's  work. 

"  You  older  members  have  had  your  day  1 "  ex- 
claimed Mrs.  Strong,  as  they  were  taking  their 
leave.  "  Why  attempt  to  mould  the  religious  life 
of  the  younger  generation  after  the  pattern  of  a 
former  one  ?  There  are  any  number  of  the  younger 
people  who  are  hungering  for  just  the  kind  of 
preaching  our  pastor  has  been  giving  us.  Why 
not  let  us  have  it  ?  " 

"  Yes,"  continued  Mrs.  Wood,  "  it  is  only  nat- 
ural for  Mr.  Baldwin  to  be  in  sympathy  with  the 
newer  thought,  since  he  is  a  young  man,  educated 
thirty  years  after  you  were,  and  during  this  time 
great  advances  have  been  made  along  all  lines  of 
thought.  Mr.  Baldwin's  preaching  has  been  very 
helpful  to  me,  Mr.  Brand.  But  you  and  Mr.  Driver 
are  making  it  very  hard  for  him." 

"Think  how  that  poor  woman  has  suffered, 
too  ! "  added  Mrs.  Strong.  "  How  can  you  men 


288  THE  MINISTRY  OF 

continue  your  persecutions  with  all  of  that  on  your 
consciences !  Dear  Brother  Brand,  you  will  not 
oppose  Mr.  Baldwin  any  further,  will  you  ?  " 

"  See  how  the  congregations  are  building  up  ! " 
continued  Mrs.  Wood.  "  Dr.  James  comes  every 
Sunday.  He  told  me  the  other  day  that  he  was 
very  much  pleased  with  Mr.  Baldwin's  sermons. 
That  should  count  for  a  great  deal,  I  think.  Dr. 
James  is  one  of  the  best  educated  men  in  the 
city." 

"  But  education  doesn't  make  him  sound  in  his 
religious  thinking  ! "  exclaimed  Brand  impatiently. 
"  Do  not  think,"  he  went  on  reverting  to  the  former 
topic,  "  that  I  have  not  suffered  enough  over  this 
matter  already.  God  knows  I  have !  But  can  I 
sit  still,  I  who  know  what  the  denomination  stands 
for,  while  our  beliefs  are  undermined  in  the  very 
pulpit  set  for  their  defense  ?  I  assure  you,  if  Mr. 
Baldwin  will  preach  the  doctrines  of  the  denomi- 
nation, no  one  could  be  a  more  zealous  supporter 
of  him  than  I  would  most  gladly  become." 

Thus  the  interview  ended. 

"  Why  can't  he  see  that  the  world  has  grown 
away  from  him ! "  exclaimed  Mrs.  Strong  while 
they  were  waiting  on  the  corner  for  a  car.  "  He 
is  just  where  he  was  thirty  years  ago." 

It  soon  became  evident  to  Mr.  Brand  that  Bald- 
win was  growing  on  the  community  more  rapidly 
than  ever,  gathering  about  him  a  strong  following 
which  might  become  dangerous  any  day  to  his 
own  long  established  position  of  leadership.  The 


DAVID  BALDWIN  289 

summer  vacation  would  soon  end  and  the  students 
would  be  back.  Baldwin  would  then  be  more 
popular  than  ever.  If  anything  was  ever  going 
to  be  done,  it  should  be  done  at  once. 

Mr.  Brand  had  a  talk  with  Deacon  Long.  It 
was  soon  the  deacon's  opinion  also  that  something 
should  be  done. 

"  Hadn't  we  better  talk  this  over  with  Driver 
before  we  formulate  any  definite  plans?  "  asked 
the  deacon. 

"  But  Driver  is  usually  so  obstinate  ;  he  nearly 
always  opposes  what  the  rest  of  us  want." 

"  I  know  it.  As  I  was  saying  to  my  wife  not 
long  ago,  he  was  born  that  way — it's  a  part  of  our 
fallen  depravity.  We  shouldn't  be  too  hard  on 
him.  He  can't  help  it.  And  if  we  don't  get  him 
on  our  side  at  the  start,  he  will  surely  be  opposed 
to  everything  we  try  to  do." 

"  I  believe  there's  something  in  what  you  say, 
deacon." 

"  Oh,  I  know  Driver  like  a  book.  I  never  have 
any  trouble  with  him." 

"  Come  to  think  about  it,  deacon,  I  guess  that's 
so.  How  do  you  manage  it  ?  " 

"  Oh,  I  learned  how  to  get  along  with  Driver 
years  and  years  ago,  soon  after  I  joined  the  church. 
I  found  out  that  the  only  way  to  keep  him  from 
opposing  what  I  wanted  done  was  to  get  him  in  it 
at  the  very  start,  and  get  him  to  thinking  it  was 
all  right.  But  if  I  couldn't  get  Driver  to  thinking 
the  plan  was  his'n,  I've  learned  that  the  best  thing 


200  THE  MINISTRY  OF 

to  do  is  to  give  it  up — yes,  sir,  every  time.  Oh,  I 
can  get  along  with  Driver  ;  I  never  have  any  dif- 
ficulty with  him.  It's  you  and  him  that  upset  the 
church  so  often." 

"  But  he  is  so  obstinate  !  And  you  know,  dea- 
con, you're  always  on  my  side." 

"  Of  course  he's  obstinate.  Most  people  are. 
That's  why  they  have  to  be  managed.  As  I  was 
saying  to  my  wife,  the  reason  why  any  two  peo- 
ple don't  get  along,  nine  times  outer  ten,  is  be- 
cause both  of  them  want  their  own  way.  This 
holds  in  church  work  and  in  matrimony  and  I 
guess  in  other  things,  too.  Now  if  we  manage 
Driver  just  right,  he'll  join  us ;  if  we  don't,  he'll 
oppose  us  as  certain  as  his  name  is  Amos  Driver." 

"  I  declare,  deacon,  you  have  given  me  some 
pointers.  Of  course  I've  always  known  that  if 
there  was  a  man  in  the  church  who  could  get 
Driver  to  do  a  thing,  you  were  that  man ;  but  I 
never  stopped  to  ask  the  reason  for  it.  Something 
must  be  done  soon.  Our  church  will  be  com- 
pletely swamped  if  we  don't.  These  new  doctrines 
will  destroy  any  church  unless  they  are  checked. 
Just  look  at  the  First  Church  in  St.  Thomas ;  every- 
body knows  what  the  heresies  of  modern  thought 
have  done  for  that  church.  While  claiming  to  be 
a  regular  church  of  the  denomination  the  members 
are  wholly  given  over  to  this  damnable  new 
theology!  Why,  they  hold  scarcely  one  of  the 
distinctive  beliefs  of  the  denomination.  And  if  we 
don't  bring  matters  to  a  climax  here  before  another 


DAVID  BALDWIN  291 

year  rolls  by,  we  will  be  in  practically  the  same  fix  : 
those  of  us  who  are  loyal  to  the  truth  will  have  to 
step  down  and  out  or  keep  still." 

"  Yes,  as  I  was  saying  to  my "  began  Dea- 
con Long,  but  Brand  interrupted  him,  saying  that 
he  must  be  going.  Before  leaving,  it  was  agreed 
that  they  should  call  on  Driver  that  evening. 

"  I  suspect  you  have  come  to  see  me  rather  than 
the  rest  of  my  family,"  said  Driver,  conducting 
them  into  the  library  which  he  used  both  as  a  den 
and  an  office.  "The  young  people  have  some 
sort  of  a  gathering  here  to-night ;  but  we  won't 
be  disturbed  in  here.  Have  a  cigar,  deacon ; 
Brand  I  know  doesn't  smoke.  What  1  you  don't 
smoke  either,  Deacon  Long  ?  Well  1  well ! "  For 
forty  years  Driver  had  been  offering  the  deacon 
cigars  and  professing  astonishment  when  they 
were  refused. 

With  more  skill  on  the  part  of  the  deacon  than 
Brand  had  ever  given  him  credit  for  possessing, 
Driver  was  led  to  join  them  in  writing  a  letter  to 
their  pastor. 

"  Yet  I  tell  you  I  have  little  heart  for  this  busi- 
ness. Gad  1  as  if  I  haven't  already  suffered  all 
that  my  seventy  years  can  stand  1 " 

"  Certainly  you  have.  And  so  have  we  all. 
We've  all  suffered.  And  why  ?  Because  our 
pastor  will  not  conform  to  the  usages  and  customs 
of  the  denomination.  He  is  to  blame.  As  I  was 
saying  to  my  wife — he  has  brought  this  upon  us 


292  THE  MINISTRY  OF 

and  upon  himself.  If  only  he  would  preach  sound 
doctrines " 

"  I  tell  you  I  find  no  fault  with  his  preaching  1 " 
interrupted  Driver  savagely.  "If  he  would  only 
conform  to  the  usages  of  this  church,  and  of  the 
denomination,  I'd  find  no  fault  whatever  with 
him." 

"  But  he  don't  conform  to  the  denominational 
practices.  Remember  that  ritual  1"  urged  the 
deacon. 

"  But  with  his  wife  in  the  condition  she  is,  I  have 
little  heart  for  writing  this  letter.  We  should  go 
very  careful.  God  knows  I  don't  want  to  cause 
that  woman  any  further  suffering." 

"  Of  course,  we  would  all  be  glad  if  nothing 
further  had  to  be  done,"  added  Brand  in  his 
suavest  tone.  "  I  for  one  would  give  a  neat  little 
sum  any  day  if  I  could  wash  my  hands  of  the 
whole  affair.  But  can  we  do  it  ?  As  members  of 
this  church,  can  we  do  it?" 

"  In  conducting  the  services,  Mr.  Baldwin  has 
evaded  the  issue  we  raised  some  time  ago,"  added 
the  deacon.  "  He  does  not  conform  to  the  es- 
tablished customs  of  the  church ;  he  does  not 
preach  sound  doctrines  ;  he " 

"I  repeat,  deacon,  I  find  no  fault  with  Mr. 
Baldwin's  doctrines  ! "  roared  Driver,  getting  up 
and  walking  impatiently  about  the  room.  The 
other  two  men  wisely  sat  still.  "The  central 
thing  of  any  organization  is  its  customs,  its 
practices.  These,  being  handed  down  from  age 


DAVID  BALDWIN  293 

to  age  become  hallowed  with  sacred  memories, 
become  dear  to  us  like  the  portraits  of  our  an- 
cestors. I  cherish  these  customs  and  practices 
of  the  church  in  which  I  was  reared.  What  dear 
associations  cling  to  them  !  They  bind  me  to  the 
past.  It's  sacrilege  to  smash  such  precious  heir- 
looms." 

"  But  that's  just  what  Mr.  Baldwin  set  out  to  do 
when  he  began  using  that  ritual ! " 

"  I  know  it,  deacon.  And  if  I  hadn't  entered  a 
protest,  robes  and  candles  and  incense  would  have 
doubtless  followed  by  this  time."  , 

"We  are  all  indebted  to  you;  as  I  was  saying 
to  my " 

"  If  there  is  anything  under  God's  heavens  I  do 
detest,"  said  Driver,  sitting  down  at  his  desk 
again,  "  it  is  a  surpliced  minister.  It's  nonsense  ! 
I'm  hostile  to  it ! " 

"  But  we  came  pretty  near  having  one  in  our 
own  church.  The  rest  of  us  look  to  you  to  take 
the  lead  in  such  matters.  And  this  letter  will  be 
right  along  that  line.  It  may  save  us  from  further 
trouble,  from  other  innovations  that  might  be  in- 
troduced at  any  moment,  if  we  don't  write  this 
letter." 

"  Well,"  said  Driver  taking  up  his  pen  again, 
"  if  I  thought  we  could  keep  Mr.  Baldwin  from 
making  further  transgressions  on  the  customs  of 
this  church,  I'm  ready  to  join  in  writing  him  a 
note.  But  I  still  insist  that  we  must  be  care- 
ful." 


294  THE  MINISTRY  OF 

"  Yes,  we  must  be  careful,"  repeated  the  deacon. 
"  We  all  agree  to  that." 

"  And  we  must  not  put  anything  in  the  letter 
calculated  to  disturb  or  upset  him." 

"  Certainly,  nothing  calculated  to  upset  him." 

"  For  I  will  not  be  a  party  to  the  doing  of  any- 
thing that's  going  to  bring  any  more  suffering  to 
that  poor  woman.  Understand  ?  " . 

"  Of  course.  None  of  us  would  think  for  a 
moment  of  doing  such  a  thing." 

Driver  glared  fiercely  at  the  two  men  sitting 
near  him. 

"  I  have  little  heart  for  this  matter,"  said  he, 
dipping  his  pen  again  in  the  ink.  He  sat  looking 
intently  at  the  sheet  of  paper  before  him  ;  but  he 
wrote  no  word.  Brand  remained  seated.  The 
deacon  arose  and  stood  near  the  back  of  Driver's 
chair.  Brand  wisely  kept  silent.  The  wrong 
word  at  this  moment  would  spoil  everything. 
Driver  placed  a  blotter  under  his  hand,  but  the 
pen  was  held  above  the  paper.  Anxiety  was 
written  all  over  the  deacon's  face.  His  hands 
worked  nervously,  rubbing  one  over  the  other. 

"  As  I  was  saying  to  my  wife,"  began  Deacon 
Long,  "  the  doctrines  of  the  denomination  are  no 
longer  being  preached  from  our  pulpit.  Why,  I 
have  in  my  note-book  here  page  after  page  of  our 
pastor's  unsound  utterances  ;  but " 

"  Unsound — your  grandmother !  I  tell  you  I 
find  no  fault  with  his  doctrines,"  snapped  Driver 
savagely. 


DAVID  BALDWIN  295 

"  Of  course,"  assented  Deacon  Long.  "As  I 
was  going  on  to  say — his  unsound  utterances  are 
bad  enough,  but  we  could  stand  them  if  that  was 
all.  But  it  ain't.  He  does  worse  than  merely 
preaching  unsound  doctrine,  as  I  was  saying  to 
my  wife  just  yesterday.  He  could  be  endured  if 
he  did  nothing  but  that ;  but  he  goes  further — we 
all  know  he  goes  further.  And  where  would  our 
church  be  to-day  if  he  hadn't  been  checked? 
Candles  and  incense,  as  Brother  Driver  has  said, 
would  soon  have  followed  that  liturgy." 

"  And  a  surplice,"  added  Brand. 

"Yes,  and  a  surplice,"  repeated  Deacon  Long. 
"  Who  knows  what  changes  he'll  introduce  next  ? 
I  for  one  can't  stand  any  more  changes.  They  up- 
set me,"  watching  closely  the  side  of  Driver's  face. 
"  No  man  of  our  age  can  stand  them." 

Driver  dipped  his  pen  in  the  ink  again. 

"A  few  words  from  us  just  now  may  save 
trouble  later  ;  and  of  course  none  of  us  want  any 
more  trouble — we  have  all  suffered  enough,  God 
knows,"  repeated  the  deacon,  rubbing  his  hands. 

"  If  I  could  know  it  wouldn't  disturb  that  poor 
woman,"  said  Driver,  meditatively,  as  he  re- 
arranged the  blotter  under  his  hand. 

"  When  I  was  a  pastor,  "  said  Brand,  quietly,  "  I 
frequently  received  letters  that  I  never  showed  to 
my  wife." 

"  It's  a  blamed  pity,  Brand,  you  are  not  a  pastor 
somewhere  now." 

"  Yes,  I  suppose  it  is." 


296  THE  MINISTRY  OF 

"  That  poor  woman  wouldn't  be  where  she  is  to- 
night if  you " 

"  I  guess  you  had  your  share  in  it ! "  retorted 
Brand. 

"Well,  I  guess  I  did,"  acknowledged  Driver. 
"  I  guess  we  have  all  had  our  hand  in  it — even  the 
deacon,  here.  Now  one  thing  I'm  hostile  to :  I 
will  not  be  a  party  to  bringing  any  more  trouble  to 
that  sick  woman.  God  Almighty  knows  I've  suf- 
fered enough  !  And  if  a  letter  from  us  will  do  any 
good  in  keeping  Mr.  Baldwin  as  pastor  of  this 
church  where  he  belongs " 

"  Of  course  it  will  do  good,"  said  the  deacon, 
still  unconsciously  rubbing  his  hands  as  Driver 
dipped  his  pen  into  the  ink-well  again  and  began 
to  write. 

Deacon  Long  had  developed  a  sportsman's 
relish  in  hunting  out  unsound  spots  in  his  pastor's 
theology.  Every  Sunday  morning  as  he  set  out 
for  church,  armed  with  pencil  and  note-book,  his 
mental  attitude  was  scarcely  that  of  a  devout  wor- 
shiper ;  rather  it  was  that  of  a  sportsman.  Any- 
thing in  his  pastor's  sermons  dressed  in  unfamiliar 
garb,  any  truth  delivered  with  new  emphasis,  or 
anything  different  from  what  he  had  been  accus- 
tomed to  hearing  aroused  the  deacon  not  unlike 
the  call  of  quail,  the  chatter  of  squirrels,  and  the 
drumming  of  partridge  arouse  other  sportsmen 
after  other  game. 

Now,  as  the  deacon  stood  behind  Driver's 
chair,  watching  the  pen  as  it  began  to  leave  dark 


DAVID  BALDWIN  297 

traces  on  the  white  paper,  his  eyes  glowed  with 
keen  satisfaction  which  was  further  expressed  as  he 
unconsciously  rubbed  one  hand  caressingly  over 
the  other.  Surely  he  was  stalking  big  game 
now ! 

Brand's  thoughts  were  different.  He  was  an  in- 
tense religious  partisan,  strong  willed,  and  exceed- 
ingly narrow,  having  no  use  for  any  one  holding 
religious  opinions  different  from  his  own.  To  him 
religion  meant  adherence  to  certain  creedal  state- 
ments. He  tolerated  other  church  organizations 
only  because  the  spirit  of  the  age  compelled  him 
to  do  so.  Had  he  lived  in  the  Middle  Age  he 
would  have  made  a  zealous  inquisitor-general. 

To  Brand,  his  denomination  was  the  bearer  of 
the  ark  of  the  covenant  in  this  new  age ;  its  doc- 
trines were  drawn  from  the  pure  Word  of  God. 
In  the  acceptance  of  these  doctrines  was  salva- 
tion ;  without  them — well,  God's  mercy  was  the  only 
source  of  refuge  for  those  Christians  held  in  the 
bondage  of  error  outside  of  his  denominational 
fold.  Doctrine  was  everything ;  character,  noth- 
ing. A  good  character  was  a  snare  of  the  Evil 
One,  if  the  person's  beliefs  were  wrong. 

With  intense  interest  he,  too,  watched  Driver's 
pen  as  it  began  to  obey  the  writer's  will,  quietly 
exulting  in  the  consciousness  that  these  two  men, 
Driver  and  the  deacon  as  well,  were  carrying  out 
his  will  rather  than  their  own.  He  had  sown 
the  seeds  of  suspicion  in  the  deacon's  mind  and 
was  grimly  pleased  with  the  crop  these  suspicions 


298  THE  MINISTRY  OF 

had  produced.  He  had  primed  the  deacon  as  to- 
gether they  had  planned  to  get  Driver  to  join  in 
writing  this  letter  to  Mr.  Baldwin.  Silently,  con- 
scious of  his  power,  Brand  watched  the  man  at  the 
desk. 

Brand  cared  little  what  words  that  pen  was 
writing,  so  long  as  the  letter  served  his  purpose — 
which  was  to  bring  matters  to  a  climax. 

Sitting  before  his  study  desk  on  the  following 
evening,  David  Baldwin  was  face  to  face  with  one 
of  the  gravest  problems  of  a  minister's  life.  The 
letter,  honestly  intended  by  the  one  who  penned  it, 
to  contain  nothing  to  disturb  him,  had  in  truth,  as 
Brand  knew  it  would,  brought  matters  to  a 
climax. 

In  the  letter  were  expressed  deep  regrets  for  the 
sad  experiences  of  the  recent  past ;  warm  acknowl- 
edgment of  the  pastor's  scholarship  and  ability ; 
entire  satisfaction  with  him  and  his  work  save  in 
one  respect. 

"  We  write  to  assure  you,"  the  letter  concluded, 
"  of  our  most  cordial  and  hearty  support,  if  you  will 
conform  to  the  usages  of  the  denomination  and 
preach  Scriptural  doctrines,  the  beliefs  commonly 
accepted  in  our  denomination."  The  last  clause 
was  written  in  as  a  correction. 

"  As  a  minister  of  the  denomination,"  the  letter 
went  on,  "  this  should  not  be  hard  for  you  to  do, 
nor  do  we  think  we  are  asking  anything  strange 
or  unreasonable  in  making  this  request.  Your 


DAVID  BALDWIN  299 

sermons  and  your  conformity  to  the  established 
customs  of  our  church  will  be  sufficient  answer  to 
this  unofficial  communication." 

For  hours  David  Baldwin  faced  this  "  unofficial 
communication,"  signed  by  Amos  Driver,  Sylvester 
Brand,  and  Jacob  Long,  without  coming  to  any 
satisfactory  conclusion.  That  these  three  men 
could  control  the  situation,  he  had  no  doubt,  un- 
less he  should  mass  his  adherents  against  them, 
which  would  mean  a  church  quarrel  and  the  rend- 
ing of  the  church  from  top  to  bottom. 

"  No,  this  must  not  be  done,"  was  his  thought. 
"  There  must  be  no  church  fight.  I  must  either 
conform  to  their  demands  and  be  permitted  to 
stay ;  or  I  must  decline  to  suppress  the  mes- 
sage that  burns  in  my  heart — and  take  the  conse- 
quences." 

The  consequences  ?  Ah,  yes ;  why  should  he 
hesitate  to  take  the  consequences  ?  His  thoughts 
turned  to  Miriam  lying  helpless  in  her  room,  in 
need  of  constant  care  ;  he  thought  of  his  financial 
prospects,  should  he  be  forced  to  resign,  of  the  un- 
paid obligations  to  physician  and  nurse,  and  his 
inability  to  meet  these  on  demand  ;  he  thought, 
too,  of  the  difficulty  a  churchless  minister  nearly 
always  has  in  getting  another  location — that 
churches  always  seek  men  who  are  serving  a 
church  and  look  with  suspicion  on  ministers  with- 
out pastorates.  He  thought  of  men  who  had  en- 
dured almost  everything  rather  than  resign  before 
getting  a  call  elsewhere. 


300  THE  MINISTRY  OF 

In  the  midst  of  these  meditations,  Baldwin  re- 
membered the  words  of  his  jovial  friend  Hilton, 
"  The  reasons  for  that  kind  of  a  sermon  have  just 
gone  up  to  bed."  He  had  thought  Hilton  lacking 
in  spirit,  but  now  that  the  iron  had  entered  his  own 
soul,  Baldwin  felt  that  he  had  judged  his  friend 
harshly. 

The  little  clock,  whose  hands  were  pointing  to 
the  hour  of  one,  was  ticking  the  minutes  away  re- 
gardless that  a  human  soul  was  there  struggling 
with  one  of  the  profoundest  problems  of  its  exist- 
ence— whether  it  would  be  bound  or  free  ;  whether 
it  would  sink  into  the  undifferentiated  mass  or 
maintain  its  individuality  at  any  cost ;  whether  for 
bread  it  would  render  meaningless  service,  receiv- 
ing a  hireling's  pay  for  a  hireling's  work,  or,  stand- 
ing before  God  alone,  perform  the  service  for 
which  it  was  born. 

Twice  David  Baldwin  decided  to  proclaim  the 
message  glowing  in  his  own  heart,  let  come  what 
might.  Twice  thoughts  of  Miriam  and  of  his 
financial  condition  caused  him  to  reconsider  the 
problem.  Upon  his  knees  he  wrestled  with  the 
subject  anew.  If  his  decision  touched  only  him- 
self he  could  have  settled  it  easily.  But  there  was 
Miriam  1  In  her  delicate  condition  could  he  do 
anything  that  would  bring  discomfort  to  her? 
And  these  men  had  promised  their  support  if  he 
would  but  preach  what  they  wanted  to  hear ! 
They  had  said  that  it  ought  not  to  be  hard  for  him, 
a  minister  of  the  denomination,  to  conform  to  de- 


DAVID  BALDWIN  301 

• 
nominational  practices  and  to  preach  the  beliefs  of 

the  Church. 

"  O  God  !  "  he  cried.  "  What  am  I  to  do  !  The 
vision  of  truth  thou  hast  granted  unto  me — how 
can  I  stand  before  thee  and  not  bear  witness  to  it  ? 
How  can  I  preach  and  not  give  utterance  to  the 
message  burning  in  my  heart  ?  " 

Sobs  escaped  him  as  he  buried  his  face  in  his 
hands. 

"  Thou  knowest  how  joyfully  I  would  bear  wit- 
ness to  the  heavenly  vision,  even  to  the  yielding 
of  life  itself,  if  it  touched  me  alone  ;  but,  O  God, 
another  life,  dearer  than  mine — how  can  I  bring 
further  suffering  to  her  ?  I  cannot !  O  God,  save 
me  from  this  hour !  " 

His  bowed  frame  shook  with  grief  too  deep  for 
words. 

"  I  cannot !  I  cannot  bring  further  calamity 
upon  Miriam,"  he  repeated,  after  a  moment.  But 
the  conflict  still  raged.  "  How  can  I  suppress  the 
message  thou  hast  given  me  ?  "  he  cried. 

"  My  God  1 "  lifting  his  gaze  upward,  "  I  cannot 
decide  unless  thou  help  me.  Oh,  clarify  my  vision 
that  I  may  see  plainly — very  plainly,  dear  heavenly 
Father,  the  path  in  which  I  should  walk  ! " 

In  the  intensity  of  his  struggle,  David  Baldwin 
had  been  oblivious  to  the  objects  about  him.  In 
his  upward  gaze  he  did  not  see  the  ceiling  of  the 
room — it  made  no  impression  on  his  senses,  so  in- 
tent was  he  in  his  endeavor  to  realize  the  nearness 
of  the  divine  presence.  But  directly  in  his  line  of 


302  DAVID  BALDWIN 

• 

vision  as  he  lowered  his  gaze  was  a  picture  of  the 
Christ ;  it  held  him  with  a  strangely  fascinating 
power.  As  David  Baldwin  looked  upon  that  kneel- 
ing figure,  into  his  own  soul  came  a  feeling  of  kin- 
ship, born  of  fellowship  in  suffering.  He  remem- 
bered that  the  Christ,  too,  shrank  from  drinking  his 
cup,  shrank  from  the  consequences  of  bearing  wit- 
ness to  his  own  inner  vision  of  truth. 

A  full  moment  Baldwin  looked  at  the  Gethsemane 
picture,  scarcely  breathing,  as  he  drank  in  its  silent 
message  of  sympathy.  An  unwonted  peace  crept 
in  and  possessed  his  soul,  a  peace  which  fortifies 
and  strengthens  men  so  strangely,  so  mysteriously 
in  their  hours  of  deepest  need.  Over  his  face 
spread  something  like  a  radiance.  He,  too,  would 
follow  the  example  of  the  Christ — would  drink  the 
cup  placed  before  him. 


XXII 

THE  last  plate  had  been  served  and  their 
Sunday  dinner  was  getting  well  under 
way  at  the  Stewart  home.  The  usual 
silence  prevailed.  All  were  waiting  for  the  little 
mother  to  give  her  customary  signal.  The  morn- 
ing sermon  had  provided  an  interesting  topic  for 
discussion,  but  not  a  word  concerning  the  pastor's 
discourse  had  any  member  of  the  household  ut- 
tered. The  mother  who  could  not  attend  church 
must  hear  what  each  one  had  to  say. 

"  And  what  did  the  minister  preach  about  this 
morning  ?  " 

Seven  active  brains  and  as  many  vocal  organs 
were  held  in  restraint  while  the  father  made  his 
reply. 

"  He  preached  on  temptation,  mother,  and  a  very 
good  sermon  it  was." 

There  was  silence  for  about  a  quarter  of  a 
minute. 

"  How  did  Mr.  Baldwin  treat  his  subject  ?  Was 
he  logical  ?  " 

"  His  points  seemed  well  arranged,  mother,  very 
well  arranged." 

After  having  waited  for  their  father  to  reply  to 
the  first  two  or  three  questions,  as  was  their  cus- 
tom, then  the  flood-gate  opened  and  the  seven 
young  people  poured  forth  their  observations  on 

303 


304  THE  MINISTRY  OF 

the  pastor's  morning  sermon.  Only  years  of  train- 
ing could  enable  one  to  follow  what  each  speaker 
was  saying ;  but  Mrs.  Stewart  had  had  the  train- 
ing. 

"  But  Mr.  Baldwin's  last  point,"  observed  Mary 
after  several  minutes  of  discussion  had  elapsed,  "  I 
didn't  quite  catch  his  meaning." 

"  About  the  Church  leading  her  ministers  into 
temptation?" 

"  Yes." 

"Why,  I  thought  he  was  very  clear  on  that 
point.  It  was  this  way,  mother,"  said  Tom ;  "  Mr. 
Baldwin  said  that  the  Church  was  offering  a  very 
subtle  temptation  to  her  ministers " 

"  The  Church  tempting  her  ministers  ?  " 

"  Yes,  tempting  them  to  suppress  their  message  ; 
he " 

"  Oh,  he  was  very  eloquent,  mother  !  " 

"  You  should  have  heard  him !  He  never  be- 
fore spoke  with  such  earnestness." 

"  He  said,"  continued  Tom  edging  in  his  re- 
mark, "that  it  was  only  natural  for  a  minister 
to  desire  to  keep  in  sympathetic  touch  with  the 
pillars  of  his  church,  and  to  do  this  he  was  some- 
times tempted " 

— "To  preach  what  the  people  wanted  to 
hear " 

— "  Rather  than  the  message  of  his  own  heart." 

— "That  powerful  motives  were  brought  to 
bear  upon  a  minister  sometimes  owing  to  his 
family " 


DAVID  BALDWIN  305 

— "  Because  he  had  no  other  support." 

— "  He  told  of  a  certain  instance " 

— "  Of  a  minister  whose  reasons  had  gone  to 
bed,"  interposed  Elizabeth. 

The  rest  laughed. 

"  But  he  did  say  it,"  persisted  Elizabeth.  "  I 
heard  him." 

"  But  what  did  he  mean,  dear  ? "  asked  Mrs. 
Stewart. 

"Oh,  I  didn't  understand  just  what  he  did 
mean.  I  never  understand  all  that  a  minister 
says." 

"  I  think  it  was  this  way,  mother ;  this  minister 
to  whom  Mr.  Baldwin  referred  preached  a  sermon 
which  did  not  represent  his  own  views,  and  a 
former  classmate  visiting  him  asked  why  he 
did  it." 

— "  Asked  how  he  could  preach  that  kind  of  a 
sermon." 

— "  Believing  as  he  did." 

— "And  this  minister  replied  that  his  reasons 
had  just  gone  up  to  bed." 

— "  His  wife  and  child,  mother,  you  see,  had 
just  gone  up-stairs  to  bed." 

— "  Having  a  family  to  support  he  was  preach- 
ing what  the  pillars  of  his  church  demanded  of 
him  rather  than  the  message  of  his  own  heart." 

— "  The  pillars  were  conservative  and  insisted 
on  the  minister  preaching  the  creed  of  a  previous 
generation." 

— "  The  minister  was  a  man  of  modern  ideas." 


306  THE  MINISTRY  OF   • 

— "  The  Church  tempted  him." 

— "  The  pillars  showed  themselves  unfriendly  to 
modern  interpretations  of  life." 

— "  And  to  retain  his  pulpit  he  gave  them  the 
type  of  sermon  which  would  permit  him  to  remain 
their  pastor." 

— "  Mr.  Baldwin  said  that  the  situation  was  by 
no  means  an  uncommon  one — the  Church  tempt- 
ing her  younger  ministers  to  repeat  a  message 
they  had  outgrown." 

— "  Indeed,  mother,  Mr.  Baldwin  was  very 
eloquent  this  morning.  He  spoke  with  the  ear- 
nestness, the  impressiveness  of  a  prophet." 

— "  Like  an  Isaiah  or  a  Savonarola." 

— "  Indeed,  mother,  you  missed  a  rare  treat !  " 

— "  But  Savonarola  wasn't  a  prophet,  was  he, 
mother?"  objected  Elizabeth.  "He  lived  several 
centuries  after  Bible  times." 

— "  Certainly,  dear,  he  lived  after  Bible  times, 
as  you  call  it,"  answered  Mrs.  Stewart.  "What 
Tom  means  is  that  any  man  in  any  age  who  pro- 
claims a  high  imperious  message,  speaking  in  the 
name  of  the  deity  is  a  prophet.  In  this  sense 
prophets  are  not  confined  to  Bible  times  nor  to 
the  Hebrew  people.  Is  this  what  you  meant, 
Tom?" 

"Yes,  mother.  And  I'm  so  glad  to  find  that 
Mr.  Baldwin  holds  the  same  view.  We  were  dis- 
cussing the  subject  the  other  evening  while  out 
fishing.  He  said  that  one  of  the  fundamental 
differences  between  the  older  and  the  newer  re- 


DAVID  BALDWIN  307 

ligious  thought  was  right  here  ;  that  the  advocates 
of  the  new  theology  hold  that  God  is  in  as  close 
and  as  vital  contact  with  humanity  to-day  as  ever ; 
that  to  men  of  every  age,  qualified  to  interpret 
spiritual  truths,  there  came  visions  of  truth,  mes- 
sages from  above,  so  possessing  the  recipients  as 
to  give  them  no  rest  until  they  spoke  forth  what 
was  stirring  in  their  own  hearts.  Mr.  Baldwin 
says  that  when  a  man  has  accepted  this  conception 
of  God's  relationship  to  his  world — that  God  is  as 
near  to  mankind  now  as  in  the  time  of  Abraham 
or  Moses — all  the  other  positions  of  the  new 
theology  will  follow  as  a  matter  of  course." 

"  I  can't  see  what  Mr.  Baldwin  means  by  the 
new  theology,"  said  Mary.  "  Mother,  let  me  refill 
your  cup.  Of  course  God  is  in  his  world  now  as 
much  as  he  ever  was.  Don't  all  people  believe 
that  ?  What  is  this  new  theology,  Tom  ?  I  for 
one  do  not  understand  what  you  mean  by 
*  modern  religious  thought.'  " 

"  Let's  ask  Mr.  Baldwin  to  give  us  private  les- 
sons also.  Why  should  Tom  be  the  only  member 
of  the  Stewart  family  so  highly  favored  ? "  said 
Cora. 

"Just  the  thing!  Let's  invite  him  over  some 
evening  and  the  whole  Stewart  family  can  sit  at 
his  feet  at  the  same  time." 

"A  capital  idea!  There  are  few  men  with 
whom  I  find  more  pleasure  and  profit  in  private 
conversation  than  with  Mr.  Baldwin.  But,  mother, 
the  children  have  strayed  a  little  way  from  the 


308  THE  MINISTRY  OF 

morning  discourse.  There  was  one  other  thought, 
mother,  which  struck  me  in  anew  light.  Whether 
it  be  new  theology  or  not  I  do  not  know.  It  was 
this :  Mr.  Baldwin  said  that  Jesus  himself  had  to 
meet  this  temptation — that  he  was  tempted  to 
suppress  his  message  ;  that  this  is  the  meaning  of 
the  Gethsemane  struggle.  Should  he  bear  wit- 
ness to  his  larger,  truer  conceptions  of  life  and 
truth  and  endure  the  consequences  or  should  he 
suppress  his  message  and  conform  to  the  dom- 
inant opinion  of  his  day,  thus  saving  himself  from 
the  heresy  trial  and  its  certain  ignominious  conse- 
quences which  he  knew  would  follow  ?  This  in- 
terpretation of  the  struggle  in  the  Garden  of 
Gethsemane  was  new  to  me." 

"  How  does  it  fit  in  with  your  own  thoughts, 
Ephraim  ?  " 

"  I  confess,  mother,  that  I  had  no  clear  or  well 
defined  ideas  on  what  Gethsemane  really  did 
mean.  I  suppose  there  lingered  in  my  mind 
something  of  the  traditional  view — that  Jesus  was 
shrinking  from  the  sacrifice  which  he  was  about  to 
make  for  the  sins  of  the  world,  the  old  Calvinistic 
view  of  Christ's  sufferings  being  an  equivalent  for 
the  punishment  of  the  redeemed,  or  something  of 
that  sort.  But  I  must  say,"  continued  Mr.  Stewart, 
"  that  Mr.  Baldwin's  interpretation  has  given  me 
something  to  think  about." 

"  Indeed,  all  of  his  sermons  do  that." 

"  Mr.  Baldwin  is  evidently  probing  some  of  the 
profound  experiences  of  life,"  said  Mrs.  Stewart,  as 


DAVID  BALDWIN  309 

Mary  rose  to  bring  on  the  dessert.  "  But,  Ephraim, 
can  a  man  speak  as  he  did  to-day  without  having 
gone  into  the  depth  of  a  similar  conflict  himself  ? 
My  word  for  it,  no  man  rises  to  such  utterances 
and  such  insight  save  through  experience." 

"  You  don't  mean,  mother,  that  he  has  been 
tempted  to  suppress  his  message?" 

"What  else?  Could  Mr.  Baldwin  have 
preached  that  sermon  in  the  way  he  did,  other- 
wise?" 

All  eyes  were  fixed  on  Mrs.  Stewart  as  she 
made  this  statement. 

"  You're  right,  mother.  The  more  I  think  of  it 
the  more  I  am  sure  you're  right.  That  sermon,  no 
man  could  have  preached  it  who  had  not  himself 
been  in  Gethsemane  !  " 

"  What  I'd  like  to  know  is — what  part  has  Mr. 
Brand  played  in  the  affair?" 

"  But  the  discourse  was  wholly  impersonal." 

"  Yes,  not  a  word,  not  even  an  allusion  to  any 
experience  of  his  own.  Such  a  thought  didn't 
even  occur  to  me  till  mother  suggested  it." 

"  Nor  to  me  either." 

"  Well,  one  thing  is  certain.  We'll  hear  more 
of  this.  If  Mr.  Brand  insists  on  hearing  sermons 
loaded  with  medieval  conceptions  of  life,  let  him 
preach  them  to  himself.  He's  capable  of  produc- 
ing such  discourses.  But  for  one,  I'm  not  going 
to  sit  idly  by  and  let  him  drive  Mr.  Baldwin  from 
the  pulpit  of  our  church." 

"  Good  for  you,  Tom  ! "  cried  Cora.    "  We  need 


310  THE  MINISTRY  OF 

a  little  variety  in  our  business  meetings.  Driver 
and  Brand  have  become  monotonous.  Surely 
Brand  and  Stewart  would  make  an  attractive 
combination.  I  predict  a  full  house  at  the  open- 
ing performance." 

"  And  we'll  stand  by  you,  Tom  ;  all  we  need  is 
a  leader,"  said  Robert.  "  Mr.  Brand  has  consid- 
erable influence  in  the  church.  But  there's  no 
sense  in  his  dictating  what  Mr.  Baldwin  shall 
preach." 

"  But  of  course  we  don't  know  with  certainty 
whether  he  has  interfered  or  not." 

"  I  wish  I  was  as  certain  of  a  million." 

"  Well,  what  can  we  do  ?  Tom,  you've  been  ap- 
pointed captain  or  general,  whichever  you  wish. 
The  campaign  is  in  your  hands." 

"  I've  been  thinking,"  responded  Tom,  as  they 
rose  from  the  table,  "I've  been  thinking  for  some 
time  about  a  Monday  evening  class  for  young 
people,  so  that  Mr.  Baldwin  might  come  into 
closer  contact  with  more  of  the  young  men  and 
women  of  our  congregation,  who  know  him  only 
through  his  morning  or  evening  sermons.  In 
such  a  class  as  I  have  in  mind  he  could  speak 
more  freely  than  he  could  in  the  pulpit,  and,  if  I 
am  not  mistaken,  win  a  closer  personal  follow- 
ing." 

"Talk  about  strategy  !  Under  the  cover  of  this 
class  or  club  you  would  build  up  a  personal  fol- 
lowing to  checkmate  Mr.  Brand  and  his  ad- 
herents?" 


DAVID  BALDWIN  311 

"Certainly.  Without  organization  very  little 
could  be  accomplished." 

"  But  will  Mr.  Baldwin  consent  ?  " 

"  I  think  so.  More  than  once  I  have  heard  him 
express  a  desire  for  something  of  this  kind — where 
he  could  ask  questions — find  out  what  the  young 
people  were  thinking  about — where  he  could  help 
any  one  who  might  be  struggling  with  some  prob- 
lem concerning  religious  beliefs.  Of  course  we 
must  not  let  him  know  that  we  are  forming  this 
organization  for  any  other  purpose." 

"  Of  course  not." 

"  And  we  must  get  under  motion  as  soon  as 
possible." 

"  By  next  week,  if  nothing  happens." 

The  reply  Mr.  Brand  received  in  his  pastor's 
sermons  had  upon  him  the  effect  of  a  challenge. 
Having  persuaded  himself  of  his  magnanimity  in 
offering  Mr.  Baldwin  a  chance  to  turn  from  the  er- 
ror of  his  way,  a  chance  flatly  refused,  Mr.  Brand 
told  himself  again  and  again  while  driving  from 
his  home  to  his  office,  what  else  could  he  who 
knew  what  his  beloved  church  stood  for,  do  but 
begin  to  devise  plans  for  forcing  Bald  win's  resigna- 
tion? 

During  the  frequent  intervals  between  pastor- 
ates, Mr.  Brand  usually  supplied  the  pulpit  when 
there  was  no  candidate  to  preach ;  if  a  marriage 
or  a  funeral  had  to  be  looked  after,  while  the 
church  was  without  a  pastor,  Mr.  Brand  was  on 


312  THE  MINISTRY  OF 

hand  to  officiate ;  if  any  member  of  the  congre- 
gation became  ill,  Mr.  Brand  always  called  to  ex- 
press his  sympathy,  and  if  opportunity  permitted 
he  would  read  some  verses  of  Scripture  and  offer 
a  short  prayer  before  leaving  the  home.  It  was 
not  strange,  therefore,  that  many  of  the  more  con- 
servative members  of  the  church,  unaccustomed  to 
independent  thinking  on  religious  subjects,  should 
look  up  to  Mr.  Brand  and  perhaps  unconsciously 
follow  his  leadership.  Without  seeming  to  do  so, 
it  was  not  difficult  for  him  to  sow  seeds  of  suspi- 
cion broadcast  among  this  element  in  the  church. 
A  word  here,  a  question  there,  and  the  pastor's 
orthodoxy  was  brought  under  suspicion. 

Mr.  Brand  had,  as  we  know,  not  been  free  from 
questioning  the  pastor's  orthodoxy  before  ;  now, 
however,  he  was  persistent  and  untiring  in  his  ef- 
forts to  bring  Mr.  Baldwin  into  disfavor  with  the 
people.  With  skill  he  selected  certain  members  of 
the  congregation  whom  he  could  most  easily  in- 
oculate with  his  suspicions. 

After  a  conversation  with  Mr.  Brand,  Mrs. 
Goodwin  and  Mrs.  North  happened  to  meet  a  few 
blocks  from  the  church  on  their  way  to  the  mid- 
week service. 

."  And  how  did  you  like  the  sermon  last  Sun- 
day ?  A  very  helpful  discourse,  wasn't  it  ?  "  said 
Mrs.  North,  after  they  had  proceeded  a  half  a 
block. 

"  Helpful  ?  Well,  ye-as,  in  a  way ;  but  I  can't 
say  that  I  approve  of  all  that  he  said." 


DAVID  BALDWIN  313 

"  Mr.  Baldwin  spoke  with  great  earnestness, 
didn't  you  think  ?  " 

"  Ye- as  ;  but  earnestness  is  a  snare  and  a  delu- 
sion if  what  the  preacher  says  is  unsound." 

"  Unsound  ?  Why,  what  have  you  heard  ?  I 
didn't  detect  anything,  did  you  ?  " 

"  Well,  at  first  I  wasn't  altogether  certain 
whether  I  agreed  with  all  he  said  or  not." 

"  I — I  felt  a  little  that  way,  too,"  admitted  Mrs. 
North. 

"  Last  evening  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Brand  were  in, 
and  incidentally  we  got  to  talking  about  the 
pastor's  discourse.  Mr.  Brand,  you  know  he's  had 
training  in  theology,  he  gave  me  to  understand 
that  the  sermon  Sunday  morning  was  very  un- 
sound." 

"  You  don't  say  !  " 

"  Yes.     And  he  ought  to  know." 

"  Of  course,  he  ought  to  know,  having  been  a 
pastor  himself." 

"  It's  fortunate  we  have  Mr.  Brand  to  point  these 
things  out  to  us." 

"  It  certainly  is  for  I  never  dreamed  of  that  ser- 
mon being  unsound." 

Only  Deacon  Nelson  was  in  the  lecture-room 
as  the  two  ladies  entered.  After  an  exchange  of 
the  usual  greetings,  the  deacon  said, 

"  A  fine  sermon  we  had  Sunday  morning ! 
Such  a  discourse  refreshes  the  soul  like  the  dews 
of  Lebanon  the  grass  on  the  hillside." 

"  Ye-as,  but " 


314  THE  MINISTRY  OF 

"  You  don't  mean,  Deacon  Nelson,  you  were 
able  to  agree  with  the  doctrines  of  that  discourse, 
do  you  ?  "  interrupted  Mrs.  North,  a  trifle  eager  to 
display  her  power  of  discrimination. 

"  Agree  with  its  doctrines  ?  To  what  do  you 
refer,  Sister  North  ?" 

"  I — er — ah — Sister  Goodwin  here  can  express 
it  perhaps  better  than  I  can.  But  the  sermon 
Sunday  morning  was  positively  unsound.  'Tis  a 
great  pity  !  Mr.  Baldwin's  such  a  gifted  man  ! " 

"  You  say  that  the  sermon  was  unsound,"  tak- 
ing a  seat  near  the  two  ladies  so  that  they  could 
continue  their  conversation  while  the  others  were 
coming  in  ;  "  it  may  be  that  you're  right.  I'm 
not  trained  in  such  matters,  as  you  know.  In 
what  points  was  the  discourse  unsound?" 

Mrs.  North  waited  for  Mrs.  Goodwin  to  answer. 

"Why,  it  was  unsound  all  the  way  through, 
Deacon  Nelson.  When  a  sermon  is  unsound,  it's 
unsound,  isn't  it  ?  " 

"  But  that's  just  what  I  wanter  git  at.  I  don't 
understand  what  some  of  the  brethren  means  when 
they  say  a  sermon's  unsound.  This  is  a  new  word 
to  me — leastwise  when  applied  to  sermons.  I'm 
used  to  calling  a  sermon  powerful  or  lacking  in 
power  or  something  of  that  sort.  Now,  since  I've 
been  hearing  the  word  occasionally  I've  been 
trying  to  find  out  what  it  means — Sister  North 
just  said  that  the  sermon  Sunday  morning  was 
unsound.  Not  having  any  early  eddycation,  I've 
been  a  learnin'  all  my  life.  Now,  I'd  like  to  know 


DAVID  BALDWIN  315 

the  meanin'  of  unsound  when  you're  talking  of  a 
sermon." 

Mrs.  North  again  looked  at  Mrs.  Goodwin  and 
waited  for  her  to  reply.  Mrs.  Goodwin  fidgeted  in 
her  chair.  Deacon  Nelson  was  a  devout,  simple- 
hearted  man  whom  every  one  held  in  high  esteem 
for  his  childlike  spirit,  his  earnest  piety.  To 
ignore  his  question  was  impossible. 

" Unsound?  Why  unsound,  Deacon  Nelson, 
when  applied  to  a  sermon  means — why  it  means 
that  the  sermon  is — is  unorthodox,  yes  unorthodox. 
Yes,  I  don't  think  I  can  make  it  any  clearer  than 
that.  Of  course  every  one  knows  what's  meant 
by  a  sermon's  being  unorthodox." 

"  But  that  also  is  a  new  word  in  my  vo-ca-bu- 
lery,  Sister  Goodwin.  I've  often  wanted  to  ask 
lately  the  meanin'  of  that  word.  Deacon  Long 
used  it  while  talking  with  me  the  other  day." 

Mrs.  Goodwin  rose  from  her  chair. 

"  Pardon  me  !  "  she  exclaimed.  "  I  see  Mrs. 
Marshall  coming  in  the  side  door.  I  must  speak 
with  her  about  same  committee- work." 

Deacon  Nelson  turned  to  Mrs.  North. 

"  As  I  understand  it,  Deacon  Nelson,  a  sermon 
is  orthodox  when — here  comes  Mr.  Strong.  He 
can  express  it  better  than  I  can.  We  were  talk- 
ing, Mr.  Strong,  about  the  exact  meaning  of  the 
word  orthodox.  What  is  your  opinion?  Of 
course  everybody  has  a  general  idea  of  the  mean- 
ing of  the  term  ;  but  what  we  were  after  is  its 
exact  meaning.  Now  what  is  your  opinion  ?  " 


316  DAVID  BALDWIN 

"  My  opinion  ?  Well  I  think  the  *  exact  mean- 
ing of  the  term '  is  something  like  this.  A  sermon 
is  orthodox  when  it  agrees  with  my  own  beliefs 
and  opinions ;  it's  unorthodox  when  it  doesn't." 
Mr.  Strong  suppressed  a  laugh  as  he  passed  on 
to  his  usual  seat  on  the  other  side  of  the  room. 

"  That's  it,  Deacon  Nelson  ;  a  sermon  is  ortho- 
dox when  it  agrees  with  what  one  believes." 

The  look  of  perplexity  on  the  good  old  man's 
face  showed  that  he  was  not  satisfied.  As  he  was 
about  to  venture  another  question,  the  pastor 
entered  the  lecture  room  and  conversation  ceased. 
Mrs.  North  gave  a  sigh  of  relief  and  joined  heart- 
ily in  the  opening  hymn. 


XXIII 

"  T  WAS  on  my  way  down  to  see  you,"  said 
Brand,  halting  his  horse  as  he  met  Baldwin 

-*-  on  the  street.  "  No,  it's  not  necessary  to 
go  back.  Just  a  word  about  the  funeral .  of 
Brother  Pratt's  little  girl." 

Baldwin  stepped  to  the  edge  of  the  curb  as 
Brand  drove  in  a  little  nearer. 

"  I  was  expecting  to  hear  that  the  child  was 
dead.  When  I  was  in  to  see  her  last  evening,  she 
was  patiently  awaiting  her  release.  Such  a  pa- 
tient, brave  little  soul !  I'm  glad  for  her  sake  that 
the  end  has  come." 

"  Yes,"  assented  Brand.  "  I  was  there  when  she 
passed  over  to  the  other  side,"  hesitating  a  mo- 
ment. Baldwin  waited  for  him  to  proceed.  "  The 
family  have  requested  me,"  he  continued,  lifting 
his  eyes  to  Baldwin's  face,  "  they've  requested  me 
to  take  charge  of  the  funeral." 

A  blow  in  the  face  could  not  have  surprised 
Baldwin  more.  Instantly,  he  felt  a  great  anguish 
settle  over  his  spirit.  Brand,  noting  the  effect  of 
his  thrust,  with  a  note  of  triumph  in  his  voice, 
went  on. 

"  But  the  family  wanted  me  to  ask  you  to  be 
present  and  take  some  part  in  the  service,  say,  the 
prayer  before  the  address." 

"  If  they've  asked  you  to  take  charge  of  the 
317 


318  THE  MINISTRY  OF 

service,"  replied  Baldwin  stiffly,  in  spite  of  his 
efforts  at  self-control,  "  it  will  scarcely  be  necessary 
for  me  to  be  there." 

"  Oh,  well,  as  you  like.  Shall  I  tell  them  that 
other  demands  on  your  time,  other  pressing  duties 
interfere?"  the  note  of  triumph  was  now  almost  if 
not  quite  a  taunt. 

Baldwin's  eyes  flashed  as  he  met  squarely  the 
other's  shifting  gaze. 

"  A  pastor,  Mr.  Brand,  as  you  should  know,  as 
you  do  know  very  well,  is  never  too  busy,  he  never 
has  other  duties  so  pressing  that  he  cannot  serve 
the  members  of  his  church  when  the  shadow  of 
death  has  fallen  on  the  threshold  of  any  home. 
Good-morning."  Baldwin,  turning  abruptly  on 
his  heel,  walked  rapidly  up  the  street. 

Under  ordinary  circumstances  this  incident 
might  have  very  little  significance ;  but  the  rela- 
tions between  the  two  men  were  such  that  Baldwin 
could  not  fail  to  perceive  the  professional  indignity 
Brand  had  intended. 

"  The  scheme  will  work  all  right,"  was  Brand's 
thought  as  he  watched  the  retreating  figure.  "  No 
man  with  his  temperament  will  stand  such  treat- 
ment long." 

Brand  was  right.  Some  men  could  endure  such 
treatment.  But  to  David  Baldwin  it  was  worse 
than  torture  on  the  rack.  The  incident  stuck  in 
his  mind,  he  couldn't  dismiss  it.  His  thoughts 
clustered  about  it  night  after  night  as  he  spent 
hours  vainly  courting  sleep.  His  digestion  suf- 


DAVID  BALDWIN  319 

fered.  It  was  into  the  second  week  before  Bald- 
win was  himself  again,  before  the  wound  his  spirit 
had  suffered  was  healed. 

His  peace  of  mind,  however,  was  of  short  dura- 
tion. The  thrust  came  this  time  by  way  of  Deacon 
Long,  the  church  treasurer. 

"  We're  some  twenty  dollars  short  this  month," 
complained  the  deacon,  handing  the  envelope  to 
Mr.  Baldwin. 

"  How  is  this  ?  "  asked  Baldwin.  "  I  understood 
that  the  subscriptions  were  ample  to  meet  all  our 
financial  needs." 

"  So  they  are.  The  subscriptions  are  sufficient. 
But  some  of  the  members  are  refusing  to  meet 
what  they  subscribed  at  the  first  of  the  year." 

"  For  what  reason  ? "  asked  Baldwin  bluntly, 
knowing  very  well  what  the  deacon  wanted  to  say. 
"  For  what  reason  do  some  of  the  members  refuse 
to  meet  their  subscriptions  ?  If  they  are  out  of 
work  or  have  met  with  financial  reverses,  we  must 
take  these  things  into  consideration." 

"  But  they  are  not  out  of  work.  They  could  pay 
easily  enough  if  they  wanted  to.  As  I  was  saying 
to  my  wife,  all  we  need  is " 

"  But  why,  then,  do  they  not  meet  their  sub- 
scription?" interrupted  Baldwin. 

"Because,"  retorted  Deacon  Long,  nervously 
fingering  his  hat,  "  because  they're  tired  of  paying 
any  longer  for  what  they  don't  get.  Sister  Good- 
win said  to  me,  says  she,  *  I  won't  pay  any  more 
till  there's  a  change.  We're  not  hearing  the  gos- 


320  THE  MINISTRY  OF 

pel.'  Them's  her  words.  And  Sister  North  has 
stopped  her  subscription  also.  She  said  to  me, 
says  she,  '  I  have  nothing  agin  Mr.  Baldwin,  but 
his  sermons  are  unsound.'  Them's  her  words  as 
I  reckoleck  them.  And  there're  others  feeling  the 
same  way.  We're  short  twenty  dollars  this  month 
and  the  Lord  only  knows  where  we'd  be  if  Brother 
Brand  and  some  others  who  don't  let  such  matters 
interfere  with  their  paying — if  they  should  stop 
paying  too  we'd  have  to  close  up,  I  guess.  But 
as  I  was  saying  to  my " 

"You  have  made  the  situation  quite  clear, 
Deacon  Long.  May  I  ask  one  question  ?  This  is 
not  the  first  time  I  have  heard  it  said  that  I  was  not 
preaching  the  gospel.  I  greatly  desire,  Deacon 
Long,  to  know  what  is  meant  by  that  statement. 
In  what  respects  have  I  not  been  preaching  the 
gospel  ?  "  Baldwin's  tone  was  cordial,  almost  con- 
fidential, inviting  a  friendly  reply  to  his  question. 
"  The  one  and  sole  ambition  of  my  life,"  he  con- 
tinued earnestly,  "  is  to  preach  the  gospel.  Please 
make  it  plain  to  me,  Deacon  Long,  wherein  I  have 
not  been  preaching  the  gospel." 

The  deacon  was  plainly  embarrassed. 

"Well, — er — ah,"  stammered  the  deacon,  "there 
has  been  more  or  less  of  a  feeling  from  the  first 
that  your  sermons  were — ah — er — at  times  un- 
sound." 

"Yes,  I've  heard  that,  too,  before.  May  we  let 
that  pass  ?  Let  us  try  to  get  at  the  meaning  of 
that  other  statement,  about  my  not  preaching  the 


DAVID  BALDWIN  321 

gospel.  Please  give  me  your  opinion.  What  did 
Mrs.  Goodwin  mean  ?  What  would  you  mean  by 
that  expression  ?  " 

"  Why — ah — ah — any  one  knows  what  preach- 
ing the  gospel  means." 

"And  to  the  best  of  my  knowledge  /have  been 
preaching  the  gospel,  Deacon  Long.  Not  for 
one  minute  have  I  knowingly  preached  anything 
else." 

"  But  you — you  don't  believe  in  the  divinity  of 
Christ,  do  you  ?  How  can  one  preach  the  gospel 
if  he  don't  believe  in  the  divinity  of  Christ?" 

"  Deacon  Long,  I  believe  in  the  divinity  of 
Christ  just  as  firmly  as  you  do.  With  all  my 
heart  I  accept  the  divinity  of  Christ." 

"Why,  er — er,  I  er — ah,  Brother  Brand  was 
a-saying  that  you  denied  the  divinity  of  Christ. 
Of  course  I  never  heard  you  say  much  about  it 
one  way  or  the  other.  All  I  know  is  what  he  told 
me." 

The  deacon  was  beginning  to  perspire. 

"Mr.  Brand  has  drawn  an  unwarranted  conclu- 
sion from  a  conversation  we  had  one  day,"  replied 
Baldwin,  in  an  even  tone.  "  I  find  he  is  apt  to  do 
that  sometimes.  It  is  exceedingly  easy  to  mis- 
interpret the  beliefs  of  those  who  do  not  agree 
with  us." 

"  But  you  do  not  accept  the  Immaculate  Con- 
ception of  the  Virgin  Birth,  do  you?"  said  the 
deacon,  mixing  up  theological  terms  with  his  usual 
lack  of  discrimination  as  to  their  meaning. 


322  THE  MINISTRY  OF 

"  The  Immaculate  Conception  and  the  Virgin 
Birth  are  two  distinct  subjects,  Deacon  Long.  The 
dogma  of  the  Immaculate  Conception  grew  up  in 
the  medieval  church  and  was  the  subject  of  great 
controversy.  It  means  that  the  Virgin  Mary  was 
born  sinless  and  has  therefore  only  indirect  refer- 
ence to  Christ  Do  you  believe,  deacon,  that  the 
Virgin  Mary  was  born  sinless  ?  " 

"  Why,  of  course  I  believe  it.  I  believe  what 
the  Bible  teaches  from  cover  to  cover.  When 
once  we  begin  to  throw  this  or  that  out  of  the 
Bible,  as  I  was  saying  to  my  wife,  we " 

"  But  the  doctrine  of  the  Immaculate  Conception 
is  not  taught  anywhere  in  the  Bible,  Deacon 
Long." 

"  It  ain't !  Why — ah,  where  is  it  taught,  then  ? 
Mebbe  you'll  be  a-saying  pretty  soon  that  there 
ain't  any  such  doctrine  ?  " 

"  Oh,  yes,  there  is.  The  doctrine  is  one  of  the 
accepted  dogmas  in  the  Catholic  church.  The 
term  Immaculate  Conception  has  of  course  passed 
into  general  literature.  But  the  doctrine  does  not 
belong  to  Protestantism  at  all." 

"  Not  belong  to  Protestantism  !  Do  you  mean 
to  tell  me  that  I've  been  all  these  years  a-holding 
a  Catholic  belief?" 

"  A  doctrine,  Deacon  Long,  if  it  is  true,  is  none 
the  worse  for  being  a  dogma  of  the  Catholic 
church." 

"  And  you  say  the  Immaculate  Conception  ain't 
in  the  Bible  ?  "  persisted  the  deacon. 


DAVID  BALDWIN  323 

"  Any  well  informed  clergyman  will  tell  you," 
replied  Baldwin,  "  that  the  idea  grew  up  in  the 
thought  of  the  middle  ages.  Indeed,  it  was  not 
formally  accepted  by  the  Catholic  church  until  the 
middle  of  the  nineteenth  century.  Protestantism 
has  never,  in  any  of  its  great  bodies,  shown  a 
friendly  attitude  toward  the  idea.  It  may  of 
course  be  true.  In  many  respects  it  is  a  beautiful 
thought — that  Christ's  mother  was  sinless.  Of 
course  such  a  thought  naturally  leads  to  the  wor- 
ship of  the  Virgin.  But  any  religious  belief  which 
satisfies  the  human  soul,  helping  men  and  women 
to  bear  the  burdens  of  life,  is  a  boon  to  humanity. 
But  as  the  individual  grows  his  beliefs  must  grow 
with  him.  So  is  it  with  the  race." 

The  deacon,  unable  to  appreciate  the  meaning 
of  his  pastor's  remarks,  reverted  to  his  former 
question. 

"  But  the  birth  of  Christ — Brand  told  me  you 
denied  the  birth  of  Christ,"  said  he,  not  a  little 
confused. 

"  You  mean,  I  suppose,  what  is  called  the  Virgin 
Birth  of  Christ,"  corrected  Baldwin. 

"  Yes,  ain't  that  what  I  said  ?  " 

"  What  you  meant,  probably.  This  subject,  the 
Virgin  birth  of  Christ,  Deacon  Long,  is  one  of  the 
great  topics  in  present  day  religious  thinking. 
Many  devout  scholars  are  slowly  thinking  their  way 
into  it.  Books  are  being  written  upon  it  To  you 
and  to  the  great  majority  of  church  people  the 
problem  has  not  yet  arisen.  It  is  to  the  New 


324  THE  MINISTRY  OF 

Testament  something  like  what  the  creation- 
problem  was  to  the  Old  Testament.  But  these, 
Deacon  Long,  are  questions  for  the  specialist. 
We  need  not  concern  ourselves  overmuch  about 
them.  Creation  is — that's  the  great  fact.  Each 
age  is  bound  to  explain  this  fact  according  to  all 
the  knowledge  it  possesses.  The  people  thou- 
sands of  years  ago  had  their  explanations,  em- 
bodying their  best  thought ;  and  each  succeeding 
age  has  the  same  right  to  explain  the  fact  over 
again,  if  the  former  interpretation  seems  inade- 
quate." 

"  But  that  makes  the  Bible  untrue,  don't  it?"  ob- 
jected the  deacon.  "  What  you  say  seems  all 
right  if  it — if  it  didn't  upset  our  belief  in  the  Bible, 
the  Word  of  God.  As  I  was  saying  to  my " 

"  That  all  depends,  Deacon  Long,  on  what  our 
attitude  is  toward  the  Bible.  Here  again  is  an- 
other of  the  great  present  day  problems  in  religious 
thought.  Many  earnest  workers  in  the  intellectual 
realm  are  giving  their  lives  to  it.  Believe  me, 
greater  problems  confront  the  Christian  scholar  to- 
day than  ever  before  in  the  history  of  the  church. 
Indeed,  the  Reformation  in  the  time  of  Erasmus 
and  Luther  was  no  greater  movement  than  the  one 
now  on.  The  struggle  then  as  now  embodied  a 
contest  between  the  Old  and  the  New.  Fully  to 
understand  these  great  movements  and  their  bear- 
ings on  religious  beliefs  is  the  task,  I  might  say,  of 
a  lifetime." 

Plainly  the  deacon  was  mystified.     Though  he 


DAVID  BALDWIN  325 

understood  each  separate  word,  the  meaning  of  it 
all  could  not  have  been  more  obscure  had 
Baldwin  spoken  to  him  in  an  unknown  tongue. 
One  impression,  however,  had  beaten  itself  in 
upon  him.  The  minister's  task  was  not  so  simple 
as  it  had  seemed. 

"But  why  does  a  minister  have  to  study  about 
all  these  things  ?  What  good  does  it  do  ?  Why 
not  just  preach  the  gospel  which  is  able  to  save 
to  the  uttermost  ?  " 

"  Every  problem  of  life,  Deacon  Long,  is  in  some 
way  related  to  the  gospel,  some  very  closely  and 
some  more  remotely.  Is  it  not  one  of  the  high 
functions  of  religion  to  help  a  man  solve  his  prob- 
lems rightly  ?  How  can  a  minister  proclaim  the 
gospel  unless  he  knows  the  problems  of  his  age  ?  " 

"  But  what  has  that  to  do  with  salvation  ?  "  ob- 
jected the  deacon,  edging  his  way  toward  the 
door.  "  Ain't  it  enough  to  save  men's  souls  and 
build  'em  up  in  the  faith  ?  That's  what  I'd  call 
preaching  .the  gospel.  All  this  worldly  knowledge, 
as  I  was  saying  to  my  wife,  says  I,  it's  a  snare 
and  a  delusion.  Give  me  the  simple  gospel. 
And  there* re  many  others  in  the  church  who  feel 
jest  as  I  do.  We  feel,  to  speak  plain,  that  we're 
not  a-getting  in  the  sermons  which  have  been 
preached  in  our  pulpit  during  the  past  year  or  two, 
the  simple  gospel." 

"  Deacon  Long,  do  you  honestly  believe  that 
the  financial  condition  you  have  reported  to  me  is 
due  to  a  belief  among  the  people  that  I  am  not 


326  THE  MINISTRY  OF 

preaching  the  gospel  ? "  Baldwin's  eyes  were 
kindly  but  earnestly  fixed  on  the  old  gentleman's 
face. 

"  Why,  ah — er,  to  what  else  could  it  be  due  ?  "  he 
replied  evasively,  as  he  was  leaving  Baldwin's 
study. 

"  The  families  you've  mentioned  pay  so  little  that 
I  thought  there  must  be  some  other  reason  for  a 
large  part  of  the  deficiency." 

"  You  question  my  honesty  ! "  cried  the  deacon, 
working  himself  into  a  rage. 

"  Not  at  all,  not  at  all,  Deacon  Long.  No  one 
questions  your  honesty.  Only  I  thought  that 
perhaps  you  could  suggest  some  additional 
reason  for  the  present  financial  condition,  that's  all. 
Good-morning,  Deacon  Long,  good-morning." 

On  taking  the  car  at  the  end  of  the  next  block, 
Deacon  Long  was  so  confused  that  he  did  not 
notice  it  was  going  in  the  wrong  direction  until 
he  had  been  carried  seven  blocks  out  of  his  way. 

"  Twist  number  two  !  "  commented  Baldwin,  as 
he  counted  the  contents  of  the  envelope  which  the 
deacon  had  handed  him.  "  There  is  more  than 
one  way  of  putting  a  man  on  the  rack.  I  be- 
gin to  wonder  just  how  many  twists  of  the  wheel  I 
shall  be  able  to  withstand." 

Still  he  sat  looking  at  the  pile  of  currency,  com- 
posed of  nickels,  dimes  and  quarters  in  large  pro- 
fusion, together  with  half  dollars,  dollars,  and  a  few 
larger  bills.  For  several  minutes  Baldwin  was  lost 
in  meditation. 


DAVID  BALDWIN  327 

"  No,"  was  his  conclusion,  "  there  is  no  remedy, 
no  redress  without  a  church  fight,  which  would 
simply  wreck  the  church.  I  could  never  stand 
that.  It  would  simply  kill  me.  I  must  seek  an- 
other pastorate." 

But  how  ?  He  would  write  to  some  of  the  boys 
whom  he  knew  well  in  the  divinity  school.  Per- 
haps they  could  put  him  in  touch  with  some 
churches  about  to  make  a  change. 

In  due  time  replies  came  from  each  of  the  men 
to  whom  he  had  written.  These  letters  from  half 
a  dozen  ministers  scattered  in  neighboring  states 
were  very  similar  in  their  essential  feature — sorry 
to  hear  he .  was  thinking  of  leaving  Tioga,  still 
sorrier  that  they  were  unable  to  suggest  his  name 
to  any  available  church  ;  but  if  an  opening  should 
occur  within  their  notice,  they  would  be  only  too 
glad  to  present  his  name  to  the  pulpit  com- 
mittee. 

Before  the  returns  were  all  in  from  the  first  half 
dozen  letters,  Baldwin  wrote  to  a  dozen  more  fel- 
lows whom  he  knew  not  quite  so  well. 

"  Surely,  something  favorable  will  come  from 
some  of  these,"  was  his  comment  as  he  dropped 
the  letters  into  the  office. 

Anxiously  he  awaited  results.  Two  days  pass 
and  two  more  ;  the  evening's  mail  brings  two  re- 
turns. Carlin's  letter  was  very  cordial,  though 
Baldwin  had  known  him  only  a  short  time  during 
his  last  half-year  ;  if  only  he  had  known  a  little 
sooner  that  Baldwin  was  thinking  of  a  change — 


328  THE  MINISTRY  OF 

there  was  a  good  church  near  him  but  they  had 
called  a  new  man  only  the  week  before. 

"  It  would  have  been  just  the  field  for  a  man  of 
your  type.  I  can  understand  your  problem  at 
Tioga  and  you  have  my  sympathy.  I  know  the 
men — the  man — you  are  up  against.  No  need  of 
saying  any  more.  Be  assured  I  shall  keep  you  in 
mind." 

Rhodes'  reply  was  almost  a  duplicate  of  some 
he  had  already  received.  For  a  week  answers 
kept  coming  in,  and  the  more  they  came  the  lower 
David's  expectations  sank.  It  seemed  that  no  one 
of  his  clerical  friends  knew  of  a  vacant  pulpit. 
Talk  about  a  dearth  of  ministers  1  Why,  where 
was  the  room  for  a  single  one  more  ?  Nearly 
twenty  letters  had  failed  to  locate  the  spot  1 

Brand,  meanwhile  was  tireless  in  his  opposition, 
and  Baldwin  was  made  to  feel  more  keenly  the 
growing  defection  when  the  Fawcett-Brown  wed- 
ding occurred  without  his  presence — Mr.  Brand 
being  invited  to  officiate. 

The  Monday  evening  club,  however,  was  truly 
a  newly  found  source  of  support.  He  told  Miriam 
more  than  once  that  he  did  not  see  how  he  ever 
got  along  without  it. 

"  We  have  such  good  times !  The  members 
seem  so  eager  for  what  I  am  able  to  give.  I 
shall  always  bless  Tom  Stewart  for  his  sugges- 
tion." 

"  But,  dear,  I  think  you  ought  not  to  undertake 
so  much.  You  are  doing  altogether  too  much. 


DAVID  BALDWIN  329 

You  do  not  know  what  a  care-worn  look  has 
settled  upon  your  brow,"  Miriam  kept  telling  him. 

"  But  now  that  you  are  getting  at  the  helm 
again,  sweetheart,  I  shall  soon  be  all  right.  A 
man  without  a  wife  to  look  after  him  is  a  pretty 
poor  stick,  isn't  he?  Some  of  us  need  so  much 
looking  after,  perhaps  the  old  plan  of  having  two 
or  half  a  dozen  wives  wasn't  so  bad  after  all." 

"  But,  David,  dear,  you  are  working  too  hard. 
You  seem — well,  not  like  your  natural  self." 

"  I — I  don't  sleep  as  well  as  I  used  to,"  he  ad- 
mitted, guardedly.  "A  little  indigestion  prob- 
ably." 

"  And  you  have  so  little  relish  for  your  food  1 " 
she  added  with  increasing  concern. 

"But  now  that  you're  getting  about  again, 
you'll  soon  see  what  an  appetite  I'll  have,  sweet- 
heart. But  you  must  not  worry  about  me.  My 
work  is  a  little  hard  just  now.  This  heat,  I  sup- 
pose, has  something  to  do  with  it." 

"  You  should  take  a  rest.  Why  are  you  not 
taking  any  vacation  this  summer  ?  " 

"Perhaps  we  will,  dear,  a  little  later.  It  has 
not  suited  me  to  do  so  yet." 

Miriam  had  almost  recovered  her  physical 
strength  and  her  mind  was  clear  ;  but  the  phy- 
sician had  cautioned  Baldwin  to  use  the  greatest 
care  in  keeping  her  free  from  worry,  and  all 
anxiety,  all  mental  stress  or  strain. 

"  Anxiety  or  worry  may  suddenly  undo  all  that 
these  weeks  have  built  up.  Mrs.  Baldwin  needs 


330  THE  MINISTRY  OF 

absolute  freedom  from  mental  strain.  In  fact,  it 
is  her  only  hope,"  said  Doctor  Wood.  "  Neither 
yourself  nor  any  member  of  the  church  must  dis- 
cuss the  affairs  of  the  church  in  her  presence." 

So  David  Baldwin  with  aching  heart  continued 
to  bear  alone  the  burden  which  he  did  not  dare  to 
share  with  his  wife.  But  human  hearts  like  his 
are  not  made  to  bear  burdens  alone.  The  condi- 
tion would  be  so  much  easier  to  endure  with 
Miriam's  sympathy. 

That  night  after  Miriam  had  retired,  David 
wrote  five  more  letters,  addressing  one  to  Dr. 
Harmon,  his  favorite  professor  in  the  divinity 
school,  one  to  the  president  of  his  alma  mater  and 
the  other  three  to  prominent  ministers  in  the  de- 
nomination. 

"  O  God  !  "  he  prayed,  his  head  bowed  on  his 
writing  table,  "  direct  thou  me.  Lead  me,  O  God, 
for  I  cannot  find  my  way  alone.  Let  some  relief 
come  to  thy  servant.  Thou,  O  Lord,  knowest  that 
his  need  is  great." 

The  conscious  need  of  the  human  heart  has  in 
all  ages  brought  humanity  into  closer  relations 
with  deity.  Perhaps  this  is  the  meaning  of  the 
hard  experiences  of  life — who  knows  ?  Is  not  life 
a  school  ?  Was  not  David  Baldwin  facing  one  of 
the  age-long  lessons  of  the  race, — that  only 
through  the  individual's  conscious  need  is  he 
brought  into  closer  fellowship  with  God  ?  But  in 
the  midst  of  the  lesson  its  meaning  was  anything 
but  clear.  But  day  after  day  as  he  poured  forth 


DAVID  BALDWIN  331 

his  soul  in  fervent  petition  for  guidance,  praying 
as  he  had  rarely  prayed  before,  the  divine  Pres- 
ence seemed  to  him  more  real.  Is  spiritual  vision 
ever  raised  from  lower  to  higher  degree  of  clear- 
ness save  through  suffering?  The  question  is  an 
old  one.  Who  is  able  to  answer  it  ? 

But  the  answers  to  his  letters  brought  no  relief. 
Must  he  resign  and  enter  that  class  so  much 
dreaded  by  his  profession — that  of  becoming  a 
churchless  pastor?  The  dread  of  the  morrow 
settled  more  heavily  upon  him. 


TT 


XXIV 

HAT  there  is  a  meaning  in  the  hard  ex- 
periences of  life,  the  pain,  the  sorrow,  the 

-*-  anguish  of  spirit  which  comes  sooner  or 
later  in  some  form  to  all,  David  Baldwin  had  more 
than  once  presented  in  his  sermons. 

"  These  experiences  are  but  means  of  developing 
in  us  a  higher  quality  of  spirit,"  he  had  said. 

It  had  been  easy  to  utter  these  words,  urg- 
ing solace  and  comfort  to  others ;  but  to  learn 
the  lesson  himself — that  quality  of  spirit  comes 
through  suffering — was  indeed  quite  a  different 
matter.  Gradually,  however,  without  relaxing  his 
efforts  to  secure  another  church,  Baldwin  was 
brought  into  a  closer,  a  more  personal  knowledge 
of  many  of  the  spiritual  conceptions  he  had  previ- 
ously held  only  as  theory.  His  sermons  became 
more  vital,  more  human  and  less  scholastic  as  the 
discipline  of  his  own  heart  clarified  his  spiritual 
vision.  Through  his  own  sufferings  he  was  en- 
tering into  a  larger,  a  more  intimate  brotherhood 
with  the  common  man.  The  language  of  books 
was  being  displaced  by  the  language  of  life. 

To  Sylvester  Brand  this  deeper  note  in  his 
pastor's  sermons  was  but  another  evidence  of  Bald- 
win's doctrinal  unsoundness.  Accordingly  his  op- 
position became  even  more  relentless.  When  the 
month  closed  the  financial  condition  was  a  little 

332 


DAVID  BALDWIN  333 

worse  than  at  the  end  of  the  preceding  one.  Bald- 
win made  no  complaint,  knowing  that  such  a  move 
on  his  part  would  precipitate  matters  that  much 
sooner.  With  nothing  definite  in  view,  he  con- 
tinued writing  letters  to  various  clergymen  in  the 
denomination,  with  the  hope  of  securing  informa- 
tion which  might  lead  to  another  settlement. 
Surely  something  must  open  soon.  David  Bald- 
win's extremity  drove  him  into  closer  fellowship 
with  God.  His  greater  need  held  him  more  fre- 
quently and  longer  in  intense  communion  with 
deity. 

On  the  following  Sunday  morning  as  Baldwin 
poured  forth  his  soul  in  a  remarkable  sermon, 
Prisoners  of  the  Present  being  his  theme,  there 
were  many  persons  in  his  congregation  who  felt 
while  under  the  spell  of  his  utterances  that  the 
preacher  was  reading  and  interpreting  some  of 
their  own  innermost  thoughts. 

"  It  was  a  most  searching  sermon,  mother,  one 
of  the  most  searching  discourses  I  ever  heard," 
said  Mr.  Stewart,  opening  the  discussion  at  their 
Sunday  dinner.  "  In  many  of  his  statements  he 
seemed  to  be  looking  into  the  depths  of  my  own 
heart." 

To  Deacon  Long  the  sermon  afforded  con- 
siderable material  for  his  note-book.  His  sports- 
manlike instinct  was  literally  satiated  with  heretical 
statements,  heretical  because  they  contained  an 
emphasis  he  had  not  been  accustomed  to  hearing 
in  his  earlier  days. 


334  THE  MINISTRY  OF 

Meanwhile,  the  Monday  evening  club  under  the 
efficient  leadership  of  Tom  Stewart  was  a  large 
factor  in  making  Baldwin's  situation  bearable. 
These  meetings  held  for  an  hour  or  two  in  the 
church  parlors  afforded  Baldwin  an  opportunity 
which  he  had  long  coveted.  Any  religious  ques- 
tion perplexing  the  minds  of  his  young  people,  he 
would  take  up  and  discuss  with  them.  These 
meetings  sometimes  fairly  bristled  with  interroga- 
tion points. 

"  The  vital  thing,"  he  kept  telling  them  at  the 
end  of  various  discussions,  "  is  not  what  you  be- 
lieve about  the  Bible  or  about  the  Christ.  The 
vital  thing  is — Do  you  accept  the  Christ  as 
the  Master  of  your  life  ?  To  be  possessed  by  the 
Christ-spirit  to  the  central  thing  in  Christianity." 

"Would  you  accept  a  man  for  membership  in 
your  church  who  while  believing  in  the  divinity  of 
Christ,  could  not  believe  that  explanation  of  his 
origin — the  Virgin  Birth  ?  "  asked  Mr.  Parker  the 
young  lawyer. 

"  Certainly  I  would,  Mr.  Parker.  If  the  man  has 
accepted  Christ  as  his  master,  other  things  are 
secondary.  By  emphasizing  considerations  which 
are  not  fundamental  we  divide  Christendom  into 
numerous  rival  sects,  and  thus  impede  the  work  of 
the  church  in  many  communities.  Rival  churches 
in  small  towns  not  infrequently  do  more  harm  than 
they  do  good." 

Baldwin  was  surprised  and  delighted  to  find 
that  his  young  people  were  thinking  for  them- 


DAVID  BALDWIN  335 

selves  on  many  religious  subjects  through  which 
he  himself  had  struggled  little  by  little  into  more 
liberal  conceptions.  His  own  experience  enabled 
him  to  guide  others  walking  along  the  same  path. 

"  How  thankful  I  am,"  said  he  to  Miriam  as 
they  were  returning  from  one  of  these  Monday 
evening  meetings,  "  that  my  own  experience  en- 
ables me  to  guide  the  thinking  of  these  young 
people.  If  I  were  not  liberal  in  my  own  thinking 
I  would  be  under  the  necessity  of  repressing  their 
questions." 

"  Yes ;  and  make  them  feel  that  they  were  wicked 
for  having  liberal  thoughts,"  replied  Miriam. 
"  That  is  the  way  my  pastor  at  home  always  made 
me  feel  whenever  he  talked  with  me.  I  am  sure, 
dear,  that  you  are  doing  for  these  young  men  and 
women  just  what  would  have  been  so  helpful  to 
me,  if  I  could  have  had  such  a  pastor." 

"  Thank  you,  dearest.  And  I'm  so  glad  to  have 
you  attend  some  of  the  services  again.  I  think 
you  are  right  in  not  wanting  to  go  to  the  regular 
church  services  yet.  But  it  does  seem  so  good, 
sweetheart,  to  have  you  at  these  Monday  evening 
meetings." 

"  I  haven't  heard  you  say  anything  special  about 
Mr.  Brand  for  some  time,  dear.  I  hope  he  has 
ceased  annoying  you  ?  " 

"  Oh,  Mr.  Brand  and  I  ?  Well,  come  to  think 
about  it,  I  haven't  said  much  about  him  lately, 
have  I  ?  We  are — we  are  getting  «on,  after  a 
fashion,  yes,  after  a  fashion." 


336  THE  MINISTRY  OF 

"  And  Mr.  Driver  ?  You  haven't  mentioned  him 
for  some  time.  Has  he  been  away  ?  " 

"  Let  me  see  ?  Yes,  Driver  has  been  away 
some.  I  pay  no  more  attention  to  Driver  and 
Brand  than  I  find  is  necessary.  There  are  so 
many  others  in  the  church  whom  I  find  more  con- 
genial. By  the  way,  how  are  you  liking  Mrs. 
James?" 

"  She's  splendid !  She's  my  ideal.  And  she 
speaks  so  highly  of  your  sermons,  dear.  She 
wants  us  to  take  dinner  with  them  Friday  even- 
ing." 

"That  will  be  fine,"  said  David,  breathing  a 
sigh  of  relief.  He  was  glad  to  get  Miriam  away 
from  any  thoughts  or  questions  concerning  the 
pillars  of  the  church.  Anxiety  would  even  yet 
undo  the  slow  gain  of  many  weeks.  To  shield 
her  from  this  anxiety  David  Baldwin  was  leading 
a  double  life.  He  compelled  himself  to  wear  a 
smile  in  her  presence  when  often  his  heart  was 
heavy  and  sad ;  he  found  himself  reading  the 
funny  column  in  the  papers  in  order  to  have 
something  cheerful  to  say  at  their  meals.  But 
many  of  the  funny  things  he  read  he  could  not 
remember  ;  so  this  led  to  his  keeping  a  joke-book. 

"You  see,  I  can't  use  these  as  illustrations  in 
my  sermons,"  he  told  Miriam,  laughingly.  "  So 
you  have  to  suffer.  You  see,  I  have  to  share  them 
with  some  one.  Half  the  enjoyment  of  a  good 
joke  consists  in  telling  it  again."  Thus  the  situa- 
tion was  saved  by  humor. 


DAVID  BALDWIN  337 

"No,"  objected  Sylvester  Brand  to  Deacon 
Long's  proposal  of  calling  a  church  meeting. 
"  The  time  hasn't  come  for  that  yet.  Some  things, 
I  tell  you,  deacon,  have  to  be  done  under  cover, 
and  this  is  one  of  them." 

"But  my  note-book — what's  the  good  of  all 
them  unsound  statements  if  we're  not  a-going  to 
use  them?"  complained  Deacon  Long,  turning 
the  leaves  of  a  leather-bound  note-book  he  was 
holding  in  his  hand.  "And  I've  listened  through 
many  a  sermon  to  get  all  them  statements,  every 
one  of  'em  unsound.  If  we  want  him  to  go,  what 
more  do  we  need  ?  If  we  can  prove  to  the  church 
that  he's  unsound,  ain't  that  all  that's  necessary? 
As  I  was  saying  to  my " 

"  Your  idea,  deacon,  is  all  right  when  the  proper 
time  comes  ;  when  the  proper  time  comes,  deacon. 
Your  notes  are  valuable,  of  great  value  ;  and  we'll 
use  them,  too  ;  but  not  now.  We  must  not  think 
of  letting  this  matter  come  openly  before  the 
church,  when  we  can  accomplish  our  purpose  a 
thousand  times  better  by  working  along  other 
lines." 

"  But  don't  we  want  to  get  rid  of  him  because 
he's  unsound?  Ain't  that  the  reason  we  want 
him  to  go  ?  "  persisted  Deacon  Long,  querulously. 

"  Yes,  certainly,"  assented  Brand. 

"Then  why  not  have  a  church  meeting  and 
show  up  his  unsoundness  ? "  demanded  Deacon 
Long,  contending  with  unusual  obstinacy  for  his 
point.  "  We've  got  the  material  right  here,"  pat- 


338  THE  MINISTRY  OF 

ting  his  note-book  complacently.  "  Every  page 
in  this  little  book  contains  one  or  more  of  his  un- 
sound utterances.  As  I  was  saying  to " 

"  Your  plan  would  work  to  perfection,  deacon,  if 
it  were  not  for  one  thing,  for  just  one  thing,"  Brand 
repeated  in  his  quiet  impressive  manner  which  al- 
ways had  great  weight  with  Deacon  Long.  "  I 
would  join  you  in  a  moment,  in  calling  a  church 
meeting  if  it  were  not  for  one  thing,"  pronouncing 
the  last  two  words  with  great  solemnity.  Brand 
was  finding  the  simple  minded  deacon  a  little  more 
difficult  to  manage  than  usual.  "  The  one  objec- 
tion is  this.  There  are  any  number  of  members 
in  this  church,  as  in  most  congregations,  who  don't 
know  what  unsound  doctrine  is,  and  what's  more 
neither  you  nor  I  could  convince  them,  either.  We 
know  he's  unsound.  But  to  save  your  soul,  you 
couldn't  convince  one  half  of  the  members  of  this 
church  of  that  fact.  I  know  what  I'm  talking 
about,"  significantly. 

"  Couldn't  convince  'em  ?  I  don't  see  why  we 
couldn't  with  all  these  statements  right  here  in 
black  and  white !  If  a  statement's  unsound,  it's 
unsound,  ain't  it  ?  I  don't  see,  Brand,  that  your  ob- 
jection holds.  I'm  for  fighting  the  Lord's  battles 
openly.  To  speak  plainly,  I — I  am  not,  well,  I  do 
not  fully  approve  of — of  some  of  the  things  we've 
been  a-doing."  At  last  Jacob  Long  had  brought 
himself  to  register  the  protest  which  had  been 
struggling  for  weeks  to  express  itself. 

Sylvester  Brand  looked  at  the  deacon  for  a  mo- 


DAVID  BALDWIN  339 

ment.  "  You  want  him  to  resign,  don't  you  ?  "  he 
asked  quietly. 

"  You  know  that  as  well  as  I  do,"  retorted  the 
deacon. 

"  You  believe  that  he's  undermining  the  very 
foundations  of  this  church  ?  " 

Long  answered  only  with  a  nod  of  his  head. 

"  The  officers  of  this  church  have  a  most  solemn 
responsibility  placed  on  their  shoulders,"  continued 
Brand.  "  Strange  doctrines,  upsetting  the  very 
foundations  of  this  church,  are  being  proclaimed  in 
our  midst.  And  what's  more,  a  considerable  ele- 
ment in  the  church  is  already  carried  away  by  these 
doctrines.  I  tell  you,  deacon,  this  is  no  time  to 
quibble !  I  myself  feel  much  as  you  do  about 
some  of  the  things  we  have  done.  But  the  blame 
deacon,  rests  upon  him,  not  upon  us.  Has  not 
God  raised  us  up  for  this  very  purpose — to  be  de- 
fenders of  the  faith  ? 

"  I  have  no  quarrel  with  Mr.  Baldwin,  person- 
ally," he  went  on.  "  Indeed,  I  more  than  half  like 
him  in  spite  of  his  heresy.  But  can  a  man  evade 
his  destiny  ?  Willingly,  I  tell  you,  I  would  evade 
mine,  if  I  could.  But  I  cannot.  The  doctrines  of 
my  church  are  dear  to  me,  dearer  than  life.  At 
the  peril  of  my  soul  would  I  defend  them." 

Jacob  Long  was  plainly  overawed  by  these 
solemn  words  of  his  colleague.  One  thought  he 
caught  and  turned  over  and  over  in  his  mind, 
finding  consolation  in  it. 

"  As  you  say,  the  blame  is  his'n.     If  there  was 


340  THE  MINISTRY  OF 

no  necessity  we  wouldn't  have  to  do  nothing. 
But  since  he's  unsound,  the  blame  is  his'n." 

"  Yes,  and  what  we  must  work  for  is  to  bring 
about  his  resignation  quietly.  He  won't  be  able 
to  stand  this  much  longer — all  we've  got  to  do  is 
to  keep  it  up.  Now  that  the  Marshalls  have  taken 
a  stand  with  us  we  shall  be  able  to  give  the  wheel 
another  turn,"  unconsciously  using  an  allusion  to 
the  old  inquisitorial  instrument  of  torture. 

"  What  do  you  have  in  mind,  now  ?  "  asked  the 
deacon  with  little  show  of  interest. 

"  The  Marshalls  are  about  to  issue  invitations  to 
a  reception — quite  an  elaborate  affair." 

"  Yes,  I  know." 

"  And  Mrs.  Marshall  has  finally  consented  to 
leave  the  Baldwins  off  her  list." 

"  Do  you  think  Mr.  Baldwin  will  care  ?  "  asked 
the  deacon  with  scorn  in  his  tone.  "  I'm  never  in- 
vited to  Mrs.  Marshall's  receptions  and  /don't  care. 
I  wouldn't  go  if  I  was  invited.  These  fashionable 
receptions — how  often  do  you  see  these  same  peo- 
ple in  prayer-meeting  ?  As  I  was  saying  to  my 
wife,  these " 

"  But  if  you  were  a  pastor,  deacon,  and  one  of 
your  prominent  families  were  to  ignore  you 
socially,  in  the  most  public  manner,  I  tell  you, 
you  would  care.  Ministers  feel  such  things  very 
keenly." 

"  I  suppose  there's  a  difference  when  one  is  a 
minister,"  admitted  Deacon  Long.  "  But  I  have 
little  faith  in  your  scheme.  If  it  don't  produce  re- 


DAVID  BALDWIN  341 

suits,  I  shall  insist  on  having  a  church  meeting 
called."  The  deacon  had  risen  from  his  comfort- 
able chair  in  Mr.  Brand's  private  office.  "  If  the 
resignation  ain't  forthcoming  within,  say,  three 
weeks,  I  shall  insist  on  bringing  the  material  of 
my  note-book  before  a  church  meeting.  Do  you 
agree  to  this  ?  "  he  asked  facing  the  other  man  al- 
most savagely. 

Brand  hesitated.  "  Yes,"  he  finally  answered  ; 
"  if  the  resignation  isn't  forthcoming  at  the  end  of 
three,  no,  make  it  four  weeks,  I  am  agreed  to  call- 
ing a  church  meeting." 

Victory  at  last!  Jacob  Long's  sombre  face 
wore  a  shadowy  smile  as  he  took  his  departure. 
For  weeks  and  months  he  had  been  collecting 
specimens  of  unsound  doctrine ;  these  he  would 
now  have  the  opportunity  of  exhibiting. 

"I  never  before  saw  him  so  persistent,"  mut- 
tered Brand,  turning  to  a  pile  of  correspondence. 
"  Humph,  that  note-book !  How  he  has  enjoyed 
that  note-book  !  But  what  does  it  amount  to  ? 
Nothing,  nothing  at  all.  And  a  church  meeting  ? 
The  very  thing  we  should  avoid.  Whatever  pos- 
sessed me  to  agree  to  it  ?  But  it  shall  not  occur. 
That  resignation  shall  be  on  hand — if,  if,  well  there 
are  more  ways  than  one  of  causing  a  minister  to 
want  to  resign." 

Gathering  several  papers  in  his  hands  and  ar- 
ranging others  before  him,  he  touched  a  button  at 
the  side  of  his  desk.  Immediately  his  stenog- 
rapher entered. 


342  THE  MINISTRY  OF 

"  We'll  get  these  letters  off  now,  John,"  said  he. 
The  defender  of  the  faith  had  become  a  captain  of 
industry. 

Sylvester  Brand's  office  was  equipped  in  a  man- 
ner similar  to  any  one  of  ten  thousand  offices  of 
successful  business  men, — that  is,  with  all  the 
modern,  labor-saving  devices  which  have  com- 
pletely transformed  the  business  world  within  the 
past  quarter  of  a  century. 

His  business  had  grown  steadily  and  for  a  few 
years  his  sales  were  in  excess  of  any  of  his  com- 
petitors in  the  city.  He  had  attained  this  position 
at  the  head  of  the  coal  and  wood  business  in 
Tioga  only  by  adjusting  himself  a  little  sooner 
than  his  associates  to  new  methods  of  handling 
his  business,  in  the  changing  conditions  of  a  grow- 
ing city. 

He  had  done  in  the  coal  and  wood  industry  ex- 
actly what  Baldwin  had  done  in  his  special  line — 
kept  up  with  the  times.  Progress  in  business  had 
brought  the  telephone,  the  typewriter,  the  stenog- 
rapher, and  a  sharp  division  of  labor,  giving  to 
each  man  his  special  task.  Evidences  of  progress 
were  on  all  sides,  and  men  not  in  business  ac- 
cepted these  changes  without  questioning  their 
right  to  exist. 

In  the  sphere  of  religious  thought  the  last 
quarter  of  a  century  has  witnessed  progress  equal 
at  least  if  not  surpassing  that  of  the  industrial 
world.  In  his  business,  the  realm  in  which  he  was 
intellectually  alert,  and  in  which  he  really  lived, 


DAVID  BALDWIN  343 

Mr.  Brand  was  an  ardent  advocate  of  progressive 
ideas  ;  but  in  the  realm  of  religious  thinking  he 
had  not  lived,  he  was  intellectually  inactive,  and 
his  very  definite  set  of  theological  conceptions 
owing  to  their  very  definiteness,  became  a  hin- 
drance to  his  further  development. 

Further,  in  his  psychology  there  was  no  dis- 
tinction between  religious  faith  and  explanations 
concerning  this  faith.  Religious  faith  which  is  an 
attitude  of  the  heart  toward  deity  he  confused 
with  doctrines  and  beliefs,  formal  explanations  of 
faith,  but  of  necessity  transient  and  bound  to 
change  with  the  growing  knowledge  of  the  indi- 
vidual or  of  the  race. 

His  religious  zeal  not  finding  its  natural  outlet 
in  the  work  of  the  ministry  for  which  he  had  pre- 
pared himself  but  was  compelled  to  relinquish 
owing  to  some  throat  difficulty,  it  was  not  un- 
natural for  a  man  of  his  temperament  to  drift  into 
the  attitude  of  a  self-appointed  guardian  of  ortho- 
doxy. The  standard  of  right  belief  which  to  him 
was  absolutely  final  was  of  course  the  theological 
conceptions  he  had  reached  at  the  close  of  his 
brief  career  as  a  pastor.  These  he  identified  with 
the  beliefs  of  the  denomination. 

In  his  opposition  to  modern  religious  thought 
Brand  was  honest.  In  his  mind  modern  thought 
was  a  more  dangerous  foe  to  religion  and  the 
church  than  infidelity  had  ever  been  or  could  be. 
Immorality  and  drunkenness  were  less  a  menace 
to  the  church  than  this  hydra-headed  monster, 


344  THE  MINISTRY  OF 

modern  thought.  How  his  soul  stirred  within 
him  as  he  saw  this  plague  of  pernicious  ideas 
sweep  over  the  land  !  Oh,  for  the  power  to  quar- 
antine the  church  against  the  ravages  of  this 
plague  ! — if  not  all  Christendom,  at  least  his  own 
beloved  denomination. 

When  every  community  contains  its  own  guard- 
ian of  orthodoxy,  its  own  defender  of  the  faith, 
it  is  needless  to  employ  further  words  in  this  nar- 
rative to  set  forth  the  attitude  of  Sylvester  Brand. 
His  type  is  too  well  known.  He  exists  every- 
where, the  champion  of  religious  beliefs  which  the 
intellectual  world  has  outgrown.  He  thinks  he  is 
a  champion  of  religion.  Herein  is  a  thousand 
pities.  What  he  really  desires  to  accomplish — the 
promotion  of  religion — he  seriously  obstructs. 
For  he  would  make  the  thought  of  yesterday  a 
substitute  for  the  thinking  of  to-day. 

Perhaps  it  is  well  that  these  guardians  and  de- 
fenders of  the  faith  do  not  know  how  much  suf- 
fering they  sometimes  cause.  Sylvester  Brand 
knew  that  David  Baldwin  was  suffering  under  his 
treatment  of  him,  yet  such  is  the  power  of  re- 
ligious zeal  when  unbalanced  with  the  common 
sentiments  of  humanity,  Brand  pursued  his  prey 
without  compassion  or  mercy.  O  Religion,  how 
many  crimes  have  men  committed  in  thy  fair 
name  ! 

The  records  of  yesterday  and  of  the  day  before 
tell  us  of  tortures  in  dungeons,  of  burnings  at  the 
stake,  of  the  wheel  and  the  rack,  and  of  instru- 


DAVID  BALDWIN  345 

ments  of  torture  almost  beyond  the  imagination 
of  man  to  construct ;  of  men  and  women  and 
little  children  suffering  deaths  too  horrible  to  por- 
tray. But  to  die  for  a  cause  is  not  a  greater  sac- 
rifice than  to  live  and  suffer  for  it. 

Into  the  weeks  following  Brand's  promise  to 
Deacon  Long  there  was  pressed  all  the  annoy- 
ance, humiliation,  indignity  for  David  Baldwin 
that  Sylvester  Brand's  fertile  brain  could  devise 
and  accomplish.  What  an  inquisitor-general  he 
would  have  made  if  only  the  spirit  of  the  times 
permitted  ! 

Tom  Stewart  and  other  friends  of  the  pastor, 
though  they  knew  of  only  a  few  of  the  indignities 
Baldwin  had  to  endure,  were  determined  to  mar- 
shall  the  members  of  the  church  in  favor  of  the 
present  regime  and  suppress  Brand's  persecution, 
which  his  opposition  to  Baldwin  had  now  virtually 
become. 

"  No,  friends,  we  must  not  have  a  church  fight," 
Baldwin  kept  telling  them.  "  There  are  few  more 
regrettable  affairs  on  earth  than  a  church  torn 
asunder." 

"  But,  man,  this  thing  can't  go  on.  It's  simply 
killing  you,"  protested  Tom  Stewart.  "  How  any 
Christian  can  act  as  Sylvester  Brand  has  is  be- 
yond me.  To  judge  from  his  actions  toward  you, 
one  would  think  that  you  were  the  very  devil." 

"  Rather,  that  Brand  himself  is  a  devil,"  said 
Mr.  Strong  who  was  calling  on  Mr.  Baldwin  at  the 
time. 


346  THE  MINISTRY  OF 

"Well,  either  way  or  both,"  replied  Tom  sav- 
agely. "Sylvester  Brand  is  working  night  and 
day  to  bring  about  your  resignation,"  he  contin- 
ued, addressing  Baldwin.  "  You  have  already 
endured  too  much,  far  too  much  from  his  hand. 
Not  one  man  in  ten  would  have  stood  his  treat- 
ment as  long.  And  he  has  fully  a  third  of  the 
members  of  this  church  under  his  thumb.  He's 
their  priest.  He  does  their  thinking.  He  uses 
every  method  known  to  the  politician  to  bind  these 
people  to  him.  He's  a  regular  boss — a  church 
boss." 

"  And  we  must  organize  to  checkmate  him  or 
he  will  accomplish  his  purpose,"  said  Mr.  Strong. 
"  Dominie,  you  must  untie  our  hand.  Withdraw 
your  veto  and  we'll  attend  to  this  matter  in  short 
order.  As  Tom  says,  this  state  of  affairs  cannot 
go  on  much  longer.  Why,  I'm  getting  on  the 
ragged  edge  of  nervous  prostration  myself.  The 
whole  church  is  in  a  state  of  strain.  If  you  don't 
withdraw  your  veto,  why  we'll  have  to  proceed, 
veto  or  no  veto,  dominie." 

"  You  have  promised  me,  both  of  you,  to  do 
nothing  of  the  sort.  I  stand  where  I've  stood  from 
the  beginning — we  must  not  split  the  church.  I'm 
glad  for  your  support.  Life  here  would  be  un- 
bearable without  it.  Perhaps  it  would  be  best  if  I 
should  resign  at  once.  That  would  relieve  the 
situation." 

"  I  tell  you,  dominie,  you  shall  do  nothing  of 
the  kind.  Not  while  a  considerable  majority  of 


DAVID  BALDWIN  347 

the  members  desire  you  to  continue  with  us.  You 
are  doing  for  us  what  no  other  pastor  has  done. 
Your  sermons  are  of  the  kind  we  want.  If  Brand 
doesn't  fancy  them,  let  him  go  elsewhere.  Some 
of  us  have  had  to  feed  in  other  churches  occasion- 
ally when  he  was  having  his  type  of  preaching  in 
this  church." 

"  Yes,  or  let  him  stay  home  and  preach  to  him- 
self," said  Tom.  "Fll  double  my  subscription  in 
a  moment  if  he  would." 

"  There's  no  danger  of  his  staying  away — he's 
too  good  a  fighter  for  that,"  said  Strong.  "  But 
I'm  in  a  quandary,  dominie." 

"Indeed?" 

"  Yes,  I  promised  Mrs.  Strong  I'd  get  your  con- 
sent to  our  doing  something.  You  may  expect  a 
call  from  her  as  soon  as  I  get  home." 

"I  always  enjoy  her  calls,"  replied  Baldwin, 
lightly. 

"  She's  determined  that  this  matter  shall  be  ad- 
justed one  way  or  the  other.  After  coming  home 
from  the  Marshalls'  the  other  evening,  she  was  so 
stirred  up  she  didn't  sleep  any  all  night.  She  de- 
clares she  will  not  rest  till  something  is  done.  So, 
dominie,  it's  up  to  you,  as  the  boys  say.  Which 
will  it  be — your  consent  to  some  move  on  the  part 
of  your  friends  or — your  resignation  ?  " 

"  I'm  exceedingly  sorry  that  Mrs.  Strong  has 
had  to  lose  any  sleep  over  this  condition.  Sleep- 
less nights  are  terrible.  What  a  luxury  to  go  to 
bed  and  sleep  till  morning !  But  with  reference  to 


348  THE  MINISTRY  OF 

calling  a  church-meeting  as  you  proposed  a  while 
ago,  I  fear  the  consequences.  In  the  present  con- 
dition of  affairs,  would  not  such  a  move  be  the  first 
step  toward  a  church  fight  ?  I  am  certain  it  would 
be  better  for  the  community  for  me  to  resign." 

"  But  we  don't  want  you  to  resign,"  persisted 
Tom,  vehemently.  "  And  may  I  ask — the  ques- 
tion I  know  is  personal — but  have  you  any  church 
in  mind  to  which  you  could  go  ?  " 

"  No,"  answered  Baldwin,  slowly.  "  I  have  no 
other  church  in  view.  But  that  needn't  matter," 
he  added. 

"If  it  comes  to  the  worst  and  you  feel  that  you 
must  resign  rather  than  let  your  friends  organize 
against  this  opposition,  would  it  be  difficult  for 
you  to  get  another  church  ?  "  Tom  asked.  "  I — I 
feel  that  we  should  know  what  your  prospects 
would  be.  Is  it  easy  or  not  for  a  minister  in  our 
denomination  to  get  a  suitable  church,  one  that 
would  furnish  a  reasonable  support,  when  he  re- 
signs without  having  anything  in  view  ?  " 

Baldwin  replied,  "The  situation  is  something 
like  this :  When  a  man  doesn't  want  to  make  a 
change,  he  usually  has  various  opportunities  and 
invitations  coming  his  way,  if  he  is  doing  good 
work.  But  let  that  same  man  resign  without  a 
call  elsewhere  and  thus  become  a  minister  without 
a  church  and  at  once  he  becomes  discounted  by  at 
least  ninety  per  cent.  He  is  practically  in  no  de- 
mand whatever.  Churches  look  upon  him  with 
suspicion.  Indeed,  I  know  of  more  than  one  in- 


DAVID  BALDWIN  349 

stance  where  pastors  have  endured  shameful  treat- 
ment a  year  or  two  years  rather  than  resign  before 
obtaining  a  call  elsewhere." 

"  Great  God  1  Is  this  what  it  means  to  be  a 
minister?"  cried  Tom  Stewart,  jumping  to  his 
feet.  "  Come,  Strong,  we  have  heard  enough  ! " 

"  No,  don't  ask  what  we're  going  to  do,"  said 
Strong  interrupting  Baldwin's  question.  "And 
see  here,  dominie,  you  might  as  well  tear  up  that 
resignation  you've  got  tucked  away  somewhere  in 
your  desk.  You're  not  going  to  resign  the  pas- 
torate of  this  church  under  any  such  circum- 
stances. Your  friends  simply  cannot  permit  it. 
Tear  it  up,  dominie  ;  tear  it  up.  If  ever  the  time 
comes  to  use  such  a  document,  you  can  write  an- 
other. But  that  time  has  not  come  yet  You  are 
in  the  hands  of  your  friends.  Rest  content.  Our 
regards  to  Mrs.  Baldwin.  Good-bye." 

Not  trusting  himself  for  further  speech,  Baldwin 
silently  pressed  their  hands  as  the  two  men  left 
his  study.  When  he  was  alone,  Baldwin  turned 
the  key  in  the  central  drawer  of  his  desk,  took  out 
a  sheet  of  paper  and  carefully  read  it. 

"  How  did  Strong  know,  I  wonder?"  he  mused. 
"  It  has  certainly  given  me  some  relief  just  to 
write  the  thing.  Oh,  if  only  I  could  see  my  way 
clear  to  hand  it  in  1 " 

Baldwin  sat  at  his  desk,  lost  for  the  moment  in 
the  intensity  of  his  meditation. 

"Why  don't  I?  Why  do  I  not  free  myself 
from  this  terrible  strain?  The  remedy  lies  in 


350  THE  MINISTRY  OF 

using  that  sheet  of  paper.  Why,  then,  don't  I  use 
it  ?  What  makes  me  hesitate  ?  Ah,  it's  the  dread 
of  the  morrow — the  dread  of  facing  a  morrow 
without  anything  to  do  ! " 

Who  of  us  does  not  appreciate  such  a  motive  ? 
To  half  of  the  world  at  least  the  bread  and  butter 
problem  is  never  out  of  sight.  The  wage-earner 
is  bound  to  his  task  by  the  dread  of  facing  a 
morrow  in  which  he  can  find  no  work.  What 
self-abasement  individuals  endure,  thousands  of 
them,  rather  than  endanger  their  means  of  sup- 
port 1  And  what  robs  a  man  sooner  of  his  dignity, 
his  self-respect  than  being  without  work?  A 
miserable  sense  of  defeat  settles  like  a  cloud  upon 
the  soul  of  the  man  who  cannot  find  work — the 
work  he  has  fitted  himself  to  perform. 

From  the  very  nature  of  a  minister's  prepara- 
tion for  his  life-work  together  with  the  professional 
and  social  dignity  attached  to  his  position  in  the 
community  as  a  clergyman,  David  Baldwin  was 
filled  with  a  great  reluctance  toward  taking  up 
any  other  means  of  earning  his  support.  He  re- 
called with  a  shudder  the  fate  of  his  friend  Thayer 
at  Oak  Park.  After  his  resignation  from  the 
Calvary  church  Thayer  had  been  forced  to  take 
up  the  insurance  business  to  support  his  family. 
And  having  once  thus  unclassed  himself  Thayer 
had  never  been  able  to  regain  his  professional 
standing. 

"  Save  me,  O  God,  from  such  a  fate,"  breathed 
Baldwin.  "Something  must  open  soon.  I  will 


DAVID  BALDWIN  351 

wait  a  little  longer,"  replacing  the  sheet  in  the 
drawer  and  turning  the  key. 

Though  it  was  in  the  middle  of  the  forenoon 
and  in  the  early  part  of  the  week,  Baldwin  found 
he  could  not  study.  After  repeated  efforts  to  hold 
his  mind  to  his  work,  he  went  out  into  the  street 
and  walked  rapidly  up  town  but  without  any 
definite  object  in  view.  As  he  walked  and  walked 
an  objective  point  emerged  in  his  consciousness. 
Without  any  thought  of  doing  so  when  he  left  his 
study,  he  determined  to  call  on  Mrs.  Hunter. 
The  need  of  his  spirit  seemed  to  guide  him  to  this 
little  home  where  he  had  called  so  often.  For 
Mrs.  Hunter  was  one  of  the  saints  to  be  found  in 
every  community.  She  was  past  sixty  and  blind. 

In  her  presence  Baldwin  always  found  an  atmos- 
phere of  peace,  of  spiritual  repose.  The  need  of 
his  restless  spirit  took  him  into  this  atmosphere 
now.  As  he  waited  a  moment  on  the  threshold, 
he  thought  what  a  high  function  it  was  to  create 
about  one's  self  such  a  spiritual  restfulness.  The 
mere  gathering  of  possessions  was  as  nothing  in 
comparison  to  it.  Nor  should  the  mere  accumula- 
tion of  knowledge  be  mentioned  in  the  same 
breath.  Hers  was  an  attainment  in  quality  of 
spirit. 

After  spending  a  half  hour  in  conversation  with 
Mrs.  Hunter,  Baldwin  felt  the  burden  of  unrest 
had  slipped  away  from  him  and  in  its  place  he 
had  gained  something  of  this  godly  woman's  own 
attitude  toward  the  perplexities  of  life.  The  high 


352  DAVID  BALDWIN 

quality  of  her  spirit  had  passed  by  an  irresistible 
contagion  into  his  own  heart.  Dear  saint,  you 
will  never  know  how  David  Baldwin's  troubled 
spirit  was  calmed  and  strengthened  by  these  half 
hours  in  your  presence.  Such  a  service,  however, 
is,  in  being  able  to  render  it,  a  sufficient  reward  in 
itself. 


XXV 

DAVID  BALDWIN  was  conscious  that  he 
was  rapidly  approaching  the  limit  of  his 
endurance.  After  each  successive  evi- 
dence of  Brand's  efforts  against  him,  he  found 
himself  so  disturbed  that  whole  nights  were  spent 
in  vain  endeavors  to  lose  consciousness  of  the 
indignity  he  had  suffered.  He  prayed  for  sleep, 
he  watched  innumerable  flocks  of  sheep  jump  over 
the  pasture  fence,  he  stood  by  his  bedside  and 
raised  himself  upon  his  toes  hundreds  of  times,  he 
read  chapter  after  chapter  of  interesting  narrative, 
he  even  read  some  of  the  chapters  backward,  but 
all  to  no  avail.  The  moment  he  turned  out  the 
light  and  began  to  compose  himself  for  sleep,  that 
moment  the  church  situation  would  insist  on  pos- 
sessing his  mind.  Dismiss  it  he  could  not.  With 
the  need  of  sleep  pressing  hard  upon  him,  he 
found  himself  shut  out  from  its  restful,  restorative 
embrace. 

Torture?  Who  would  not  prefer  to  be  sub- 
jected to  the  physical  pain  of  the  rack  or  the  wheel 
or  any  of  the  other  terrible  instruments  of  the  in- 
quisition than  to  be  a  helpless  victim  in  the  power 
of  one  who  stood  between  you  and  sleep?  To  de- 
prive a  man  of  food  is  an  act  so  inhuman  that  no 
civilized  community  permits  such  treatment  to  be 

353 


354  THE  MINISTRY  OF 

inflicted  even  upon  its  most  dangerous  criminals  ; 
but  any  man  can  live  longer  without  food  than 
without  sleep.  What,  then,  must  be  the  nature  of 
that  treatment  whereby  one  man  deliberately  plans 
to  stand  between  another  human  being  and  his 
sleep  ?  Sylvester  Brand,  in  his  zeal  to  protect  the 
creed  of  his  fathers  from  the  contamination  of 
modern  thought,  was  doing  exactly  what  Tor- 
quemada  did  four  hundred  years  before,  only  he  was 
accomplishing  his  purpose  by  a  slower  method  of 
killing  off  the  heretic.  Their  spirit  and  motive 
were  very  similar.  Yes,  both  were  honest  men ; 
men  with  strong  religious  convictions  ;  men  who 
truly  believed  they  were  serving  not  only  their 
God  but  also  their  day  and  generation,  by  com- 
pelling the  acceptance  or  preservation  of  a  creed. 

Brand  was  right.  Baldwin  could  not  endure  his 
treatment  much  longer.  His  step  had  lost  its 
elasticity,  his  face  was  thin,  and  on  his  brow  sat 
anxiety.  He  no  longer  cared  to  eat — the  processes 
of  digestion  refused  to  make  use  of  the  food  he  did 
manage  to  swallow.  He  longed  to  become  a  free 
man  but  he  did  not  dare  use  the  means  which 
would  make  him  free.  He  had  written  over  two 
score  of  letters  without  obtaining  any  prospects  of 
another  settlement  should  he  resign.  But  from 
Miriam  he  carefully  concealed  all  these  things. 

"  Mrs.  Baldwin  is  gaining  slowly,  making  some 
progress  every  week/'  Doctor  Wood  told  him. 
"  We  have  every  reason  to  hope  for  a  complete 
mental  recovery.  But  it  is  still  imperative  that 


DAVID  BALDWIN  355 

she  be  kept  free  from  mental  strain,  from  all 
anxiety  or  worry.  As  you  value  her  life  you  must 
keep  from  her  all  knowledge  of  this  church  situa- 
tion." 

"  I  know,  doctor ;  that  is  what  I  am  trying  to 
do.  Several  of  the  church  families  have  conspired 
with  me  to  keep  her  in  ignorance  of  what  Mr. 
Brand  has  been  doing.  But  daily  I  live  in  dread 
of  what  the  morrow  may  by  chance  word  reveal  to 
her." 

"  Isn't  there  some  way  in  your  church  of  sup- 
pressing a  man  like  Mr.  Brand?"  asked  Dr. 
Wood. 

"  There  is,  but  I  do  not  care  to  use  it.  It  would 
mean  a  church  fight." 

"  Ah  !  I  see.  But  your  friends,  Mr.  Baldwin, 
cannot  permit  this  to  go  on  indefinitely.  Too 
long,  much  too  long  the  First  Church  has  been 
dominated  by  two  or  three  of  its  members.  In- 
deed, I  have  said  to  Professor  James  more  than 
once  that  the  best  thing  that  could  happen  to  the 
First  Church  would  be  two  or  three  first  class 
funerals." 

"  It  certainly  is  a  good  thing  that  some  men  do 
not  live  forever,"  admitted  Baldwin. 

"Yes,  if  the  age  limit  were  doubled,  other 
things  remaining  as  they  are,  human  progress 
would  be  sadly  retarded.  It  has  not  infrequently 
happened  that  champions  of  the  Old  have  had  to 
die  off  before  the  newer  ideas  could  have  a  chance 
to  grow.  This  has  been  true  not  only  in  medicine 


356  THE  MINISTRY  OF 

and  theology  but  in  government  and  doubtless  in 
every  department  of  human  activity." 

"  I  agree  with  you.  Yet  I  recall  at  this  moment 
certain  men  old  enough  to  be  my  father  who  are 
fresh  and  vigorous  in  their  thinking  and  who 
champion  the  thought  of  to-day  rather  than  the 
ideas  of  a  generation  ago." 

"  We  have,  I  am  glad  to  say,  some  men  of  that 
type  in  our  community.  But  most  men  are  like 
Mr.  Brand — they  grow  and  keep  up  with  the  world 
in  certain  sections  of  their  life,  while  in  other  sec- 
tions they  have  made  no  progress  for  years. 
With  us  physicians,  however,  it  makes  little  dif- 
ference whether  a  patient's  ideas  of  medicine  are 
up  to  date  or  not.  In  medicine  the  layman  does 
not  question  the  decision  of  the  specialist.  With 
you  preachers  it  is  different.  The  preacher  is  a 
specialist  in  his  realm.  Yet  every  layman  in  his 
audience  sits  in  judgment  on  his  utterances,  and 
feels  qualified  to  put  his  own  untrained  thinking  up 
as  a  standard  by  which  to  measure  the  theology  of 
his  pastor.  In  medicine  this  attitude  would  not  be 
tolerated." 

"  Yet  what  we  need  in  our  churches  is  not  less 
thinking  on  the  part  of  the  members  ;  for  this  al- 
ways tends  to  make  the  preacher  into  a  priest. 
Our  great  need  is  the  general  recognition  that 
creeds  are  only  incidental  to  religion — that  re- 
ligion is  relationship  or  attitude  toward  God.  It 
is  not  the  acceptance  of  this  or  that  belief  about 
Christ  but  the  acceptance  of  Christ  himself  as  our 


DAVID  BALDWIN  357 

master,  our  ideal  which  is  the  central  thing  in 
Christianity." 

"  Would  you  on  that  basis  accept  me  for  mem- 
bership in  your  church  ?  "  asked  Dr.  Wood, turn- 
ing about  in  his  office  chair. 

"  Most  assuredly  I  would,"  answered  Baldwin. 

"  Even  if  I  told  you  of  my  inability  to  accept 
the  virgin  birth  accounts  of  his  origin  ?  "  persisted 
the  physician. 

"  That  would  make  no  difference.  Men  are  not 
saved  from  sinning  by  the  acceptance  of  this  or 
that  belief  about  Christ.  It  is  belief  in  Christ ;  it 
is  the  possession  of  his  spirit,  his  attitude  which 
makes  a  man  a  Christian,  Dr.  Wood." 

"You  utter  my  own  thoughts,  Mr.  Baldwin. 
For  years  I  have  held  these  opinions.  They  have 
kept  me  outside  the  church,  while  in  my  own  way 
I  have  daily  endeavored  to  follow  the  Christ." 

"  I  see  no  reason  why  they  should  keep  you  any 
longer  out  of  the  First  Church,  Dr.  Wood." 

"  Nor  I.  Surely  one  may  be  as  liberal  as  his 
pastor.  I  want  some  part  in  what  you  are  trying 
to  do,  Mr.  Baldwin.  As  a  member  of  the  church 
I  believe  I  could  mean  more  to  your  work  than  I 
possibly  could  outside.  You  may  propose  my 
name  for  membership  whenever  you  think  best." 

"  Thank  you,  Dr.  Wood,"  Baldwin  said,  tears 
of  gratitude  and  joy  suffusing  his  eyes.  "  Your 
words  have  put  heart  into  me  again." 

It  was  well  for  David  Baldwin  that  he  was  thus 
strengthened,  as  it  were,  in  the  inner  man  by  this 


358  THE  MINISTRY  OF 

conversation  with  Dr.  Wood  ;  for  on  his  way 
home  that  afternoon  he  heard  of  Brand's  purpose 
of  calling  a  church  meeting.  A  church  meeting  ? 
Brand  could  have  but  one  object— his  resignation. 
This  public  move  seemed  to  Baldwin  to  be  the 
climax  of  the  series.  And  Miriam  ?  How  could 
he  keep  Miriam  from  knowledge  of  this  public 
meeting?  It  would  doubtless  be  in  the  papers. 
Dr.  Wood's  warning  rang  in  his  ears.  What 
could  he  do  ?  Before  reaching  his  home  Baldwin 
was  resolved  to  take  Miriam  away  from  Tioga. 
It  would  be  to  imperil  her  life  not  to  act  at  once. 

During  the  evening  his  opportunity  came. 

"  My  dear,"  said  Miriam  solicitously,  "  you  are 
working  too  hard ;  you  are  getting  so  thin  and 


worn." 


"  I  am  feeling  the  need  of  a  few  days'  change, 
sweetheart,"  David  admitted,  as  he  drew  her 
down  upon  the  arm  of  his  easy  chair.  "  How 
would  you  like  to  visit  the  Hiltons  for  a  few  days  ?  " 

"  That  would  be  fine  !  Are  you  really  thinking 
of  going,  dear  ?  The  visit  would  give  you  a  few 
days  of  rest  and  you  need  it  so  much." 

"Yes,  sweetheart,  I'm  really  thinking  of  going. 
Could  we  plan  to  leave  here,  say,  next  Monday 
morning?" 

"  But  the  Monday  club  ?  " 

"  Oh,  we  can  arrange  to  postpone  the  meeting 
for  a  week." 

"  Of  course  I  can  get  ready  any  time,  dear. 
What  a  treat  it  will  be  to  see  Gertrude  again." 


DAVID  BALDWIN  359 

"  And  to  go  out  on  the  lake  with  Tom  for  black 
bass.  Tom  is  such  a  jolly  fellow.  A  few  days 
with  him  is  better  than  a  tonic." 

Baldwin  was  glad  that  the  matter  had  been  ar- 
ranged without  arousing  Miriam's  suspicions.  He 
had  acted  his  part  well.  He  fell  to  musing  whether 
other  people  were  driven  to  the  necessity  of  acting 
a  part  in  order  to  save  another  from  calamity  or 
sorrow?  Could  it  be  true  that  men  and  women 
were  all  actors,  no  one  ever  knowing  the  real  life 
of  those  about  him  ?  The  thought  held  him  with 
strange  fascination. 

The  strain  already  existing  in  the  congregation 
of  the  First  Church  kept  increasing  to  alarming 
proportions.  Other  topics  of  conversation  lost 
their  interest  in  church  circles  when  on  the  follow- 
ing Sunday  it  was  announced  that  at  the  request 
of  the  required  number  of  members  of  the  church 
the  Standing  Committee  issued  a  call  for  a  church 
meeting  on  the  Wednesday  evening  of  the 
week. 

"  *  The  purpose  of  this  meeting,' "  read  the  pastor, 
"  '  is  to  consider  matters  of  vital  interest  to  the 
welfare  of  the  church.'  " 

What  the  sermon  was  about,  few  of  Baldwin's 
listeners  could  have  told  at  the  close  of  the  service. 
After  the  benediction  the  preacher,  with  a  great 
heaviness  of  spirit,  withdrew  through  the  church 
study  and  set  out  on  a  brisk  walk.  He  could  not 
trust  himself  to  meet  the  people  in  the  foyer  of  the 
church  as  was  his  usual  custom.  Could  he  meet 


360  THE  MINISTRY  OF 

Miriam  without  revealing  to  her  the  bruised  and 
bleeding  condition  of  his  heart?  He  knew  he 
could  not.  He  was  certain  that  Miriam's  eyes 
had  been  searching  his  face  of  late  as  if  she  would 
know  the  meaning  of  the  expression  he  could  not 
always  successfully  hide. 

Two  blocks  he  walked,  and  two  more,  turning 
first  down  one  street  and  then  another. 

"Yes,  I  will  call  on  the  Churchills,"  was  his 
thought  as  he  searched  about  in  his  mind  for  some 
reasonable  excuse  to  account  for  his  late  appear- 
ance when  he  should  reach  his  home.  The  car 
soon  brought  him  to  Glen  Park  and  a  short  walk 
covered  the  distance  to  their  door. 

In  this  home  as  at  the  Hunters',  Baldwin  always 
found  a  restful  atmosphere.  Affliction  and  suffer- 
ing found  their  compensation  in  quality  of  spirit. 
At  the  end  of  a  brief  call,  Baldwin's  face  wore  an 
expression  reflecting  a  calmer  state  of  mind  than 
when  he  had  entered  this  humble  home.  For- 
tunate the  man  whose  duties  bring  him  in  con- 
tact with  such  fountains  of  healing  power !  A  few 
minutes  later  than  his  usual  time  of  getting  home 
from  the  morning  service,  David  Baldwin  came 
into  Miriam's  presence  prepared  to  meet  her  lov- 
ing but  searching  eyes.  His  burden  had  been 
lightened. 

During  the  afternoon,  Professor  and  Mrs.  Strong 
dropped  in  for  a  little  chat. 

"  We  missed  you,  dominie,  after  the  service," 
said  Strong,  as  he  shook  his  pastor's  hand.  "  The 


DAVID  BALDWIN  361 

sermon  doesn't  seem  quite  complete  unless  you 
are  at  the  door,  shaking"  hands  with  us  at  its 
close." 

"  Of  course  we  can  understand  how  you  must 
have  felt,"  said  Mrs.  Strong,  forgetting  for  the 
moment  that  Miriam  knew  nothing  of  the  present 
condition  in  the  affairs  of  the  church.  "  I 
was " 

"  And  so  was  I.  I  was  nearly  suffocated,"  in- 
terrupted Baldwin.  "  The  church  was  very  close 
this  morning.  I  got  out  into  the  open  air  as  soon 
as  I  could." 

"  Yes,"  added  Strong  with  a  knowing  look  in 
his  wife's  direction.  "  I  too  felt  the  effects  of  the 
bad  ventilation.  We  must  look  into  this  matter 
and  see  if  it  cannot  be  remedied." 

* '  Preaching  is  such  energetic  work — I  do  not 
wonder  you  want  a  breath  of  fresh  air  as  soon  as 
you  are  through,"  was  Mrs.  Strong's  comment  as 
she  joined  the  other  two  actors  in  keeping 
Miriam  unacquainted  with  what  might  do  her  ir- 
reparable injury. 

"  Has  Mr.  Baldwin  told  you  ?  "  asked  Miriam  as 
the  two  ladies  were  chatting.  "  We  are  going 
away  for  a  few  days." 

"  Oh,  I  am  so  glad  ! "  exclaimed  Mrs.  Strong, 
again  forgetting  herself. 

"  Mr.  Baldwin's  work  has  been  pretty  hard  and 
a  little  rest  will  do  him  good,"  said  Miriam. 

"  Yes,"  said  Mrs.  Strong,  again  getting  her 
bearings.  "  Mr.  Baldwin  does  need  a  rest.  The 


362  THE  MINISTRY  OF 

change  will  do  him  good.  It  will  do  you  both 
good." 

The  slip  did  not  escape  Baldwin's  ear.  Mrs. 
Strong  was  not  accustomed  to  weighing  her 
words.  Baldwin  knew  this  and  sat  as  it  were  on 
pins  until  they  had  gone. 

When  they  boarded  the  8:30  train  the  next 
morning  Baldwin  heaved  a  sigh  of  relief.  At 
last  Miriam  was  safe.  The  church  and  Brand 
and  his  church-meeting  would  be  left  behind. 

"  Why,  good-morning  !  "  said  a  familiar  voice 
behind  him.  "  Are  you  going  to  leave  town, 
too?"  The  speaker  was  Miss  Appleton.  She 
took  the  seat  opposite.  "  This  is  what  I  call  a 
streak  of  pure  good  fortune.  I  do  so  dislike  to 
travel  alone." 

Baldwin  could  not  recall  whether  he  had  ever 
spoken  to  Miss  Appleton  about  not  discussing 
church  matters  in  the  presence  of  Miriam  ;  and 
for  three  hours  he  kept  such  a  lead  on  the  conver- 
sation that  Miss  Appleton  had  only  one  oppor- 
tunity of  introducing  the  church  situation. 

"  Will  you  be  back  for  the  church-meeting  ?  " 
she  asked,  innocently  enough. 

Baldwin  winced.  He  succeeded  in  deadening 
the  last  part  of  her  question  by  clearing  his  throat 
as  the  words  were  being  uttered. 

"  No,  Miss  Appleton,"  he  replied  after  he  had 
coughed  two  or  three  times  thus  removing,  let  us 
hope,  the  cause  of  the  irritation,  "  we  shall  not  re- 
turn in  time  for  any  of  the  meetings  of  the  church 


DAVID  BALDWIN  363 

this  week.  When  a  man  goes  fishing,  you  know, 
he  cannot  be  expected  to  return  until  he  has  to." 

He  wiped  the  perspiration  from  his  brow  and 
plunged  into  another  hour's  continuous  talking, 
not  giving  Miss  Appleton  another  chance  to  get 
near  any  church  topics.  When  they  parted  com- 
pany at  Sherman  Junction  it  was  with  great 
pleasure  that  Baldwin  assisted  the  young  lady  to 
a  seat  in  the  other  train. 

"  Thank  heavens ! "  he  exclaimed  beneath  his 
breath  as  he  was  leaving  Miss  Appleton's  coach. 
"  Now  I  hope  we  are  safe." 

Tom  Hilton  met  them  at  the  station.  "  Well, 
well,"  said  he  after  they  had  exchanged  greetings, 
"  what  have  they  been  doing  to  your  husband, 
Mrs.  Baldwin  ?  He  has  escaped  I  should  say  by 
a  pretty  close  margin." 

Miriam  was  troubled.  "He  is  thin,  isn't  he? 
He  has  been  working  altogether  too  hard." 

Baldwin's  work  had  not  hurt  him.  Work  sel- 
dom unfits  any  man.  It's  worry  that  drives  men 
under  the  sod  before  their  time.  Anxiety  for 
the  morrow,  who  does  not  know  its  life-destroy- 
ing power?  In  David  Baldwin's  case  anxiety 
had  been  raised  to  actual  dread  of  what  each  suc- 
ceeding day  might  unfold.  The  thought  of 
Miriam's  welfare  was  never  long  absent  from  his 
mind. 

At  his  earliest  opportunity  he  explained  the 
situation  to  Hilton. 

"  We  will  do  everything  in  our  power   to  aid 


364  THE  MINISTRY  OF 

you.  I  will  caution  Mrs.  Hilton  at  once.  When 
did  you  say  this  meeting  takes  place  ?  " 

"  Wednesday  evening." 

"  And  you  have  no  idea  what  will  be  the  re- 
sult?" 

"  Only  that  Brand  usually  accomplishes  his 
purpose.  I  know  well  enough  what  his  purpose 
is." 

"  But  your  friends  in  the  church,  can't  they 
do  anything  ?  " 

"  I  have  pleaded  with  them  not  to  get  into  a 
church  fight.  Any  organized  move  on  their  part 
would  mean  a  church  fight.  I  have  done  all  in 
my  power  to  avoid  such  an  issue." 

"  Well,  old  man,  I  don't  envy  you  your  state 
of  mind,  surely.  But  it's  a  good  thing  that  this 
meeting  is  going  to  bring  the  affair  to  a  climax." 

"Yes,  God  knows  I've  had  this  thing  hang- 
ing over  me  too  long  already.  But  what  could 
I  do  ?  I  was  tied  hand  and  foot." 

"If  only  Mrs.  Baldwin  had  been  in  her  usual 
health " 

"  It  would  have  made  all  the  difference  in  the 
world." 

"  I  can  believe  that.  Human  hearts  were  not 
made  to  bear  their  burdens  alone." 

"  You're  right.  If  ever  I  have  the  privilege 
again  of  sharing  all  of  my  problems  with  Mrs. 
Baldwin. you  can  count  me  the  happiest  man  in 
the  state." 

"  Let  us  hope  that  the  time  is  near  at  hand. 


DAVID  BALDWIN  365 

Mrs.  Baldwin  seems  in  excellent  health  phys- 
ically ?"  . 

"  She  is.  Physically  she  is  quite  herself  again. 
Her  mental  recovery  has  been  much  slower, 
however." 

"  How  long  was  she "  Hilton  hesitated 

for  the  right  word. 

"  Out  of  her  mind  ?  " 

"  Yes." 

"  Several  weeks,  or  eternities,  I  do  not  know 
which.  Hilton,  I  cannot  tell  you  what  it  was  like. 
It  was  in  some  ways  a  greater  blow  than  death  it- 
self. With  such  an  experience  behind  me,  you 
can  image  what  has  been  my  solicitation  to  avoid  its 
repetition.  With  this  latest  move  of  Brand's  con- 
fronting me,  it  would  have  been  at  the  peril  of  her 
reason  for  us  to  have  remained  in  Tioga  this  week." 

"  Undoubtedly.  And  for  her  sake  as  well  as 
your  own  you  must  keep  this  church  meeting  out 
of  your  mind  as  much  as  you  can.  Women,  and 
especially  wives,  have  sharp  eyes.  Do  you  know, 
I  believe  Mrs.  Hilton  can  read  me  like  a  book.  I 
very  much  doubt  if  I  could  keep  as  much  of  my 
life  from  her  as  you  have  succeeded  in  doing  from 
Mrs.  Baldwin." 

"  Hilton,  no  man  knows  what  he  can  do  until 
the  necessity  is  laid  upon  him.  God  grant  that  you 
may  never  know  the  necessity  for  excluding  Mrs. 
Hilton  from  the  chief  activities  of  your  life." 

Meanwhile  Miriam  and  her  friend  Gertrude  were 
enjoying  each  other  as  only  old  school  friends  can. 


366  THE  MINISTRY  OF 

They  had  so  much  to  tell  each  other,  so  much  to 
talk  about.  Since  their  last  visit  how  much  had 
happened ! 

As  Miriam  clasped  to  her  heart  Gertrude's  little 
babe,  nearly  the  same  age  as  her  own  would  have 
been  had  it  lived,  her  mother  heart  went  out  in  a 
great  yearning  for  the  child  she  had  lost.  For  a 
moment  she  held  the  little  one  in  her  arms.  All 
the  suppressed  motherhood  of  her  strong  nature 
seemed  to  flow  out  toward  it.  Though  she  said 
not  a  word  as  she  handed  the  babe  to  its  mother, 
tears  sprang  unbidden  to  each  woman's  eyes. 
Gertrude's  sympathy  thus  expressed  was  more 
eloquent  than  words,  and  Miriam  felt  its  power. 
Soon  a  great  calm  displaced  her  disquietude. 
And  as  they  talked  the  hearts  of  these  two  were 
drawn  into  yet  closer  bonds  of  fellowship. 

We  may  trust  David  and  Miriam  to  the  kind 
and  efficient  care  of  the  Hiltons  while  we  return  to 
Tioga.  Here  ancient  Time,  who  not  infrequently 
plays  havoc  with  the  plans  of  men,  sent  forth  one 
of  his  imperial  decrees ;  and  in  response  to  the 
summons  the  soul  of  Sylvester  Brand  took  its 
mysterious  departure  from  the  body  it  had 
animated  these  sixty  years.  On  the  burial  certif- 
icate read  the  words  "  Heart  failure." 

On  Wednesday  morning  Baldwin  received  a 
telegram  from  Strong.  For  a  moment  and  only 
for  a  single  moment  conflicting  emotions  struggled 
in  his  breast  for  supremacy.  For  he  was  human. 


DAVID  BALDWIN  36T 

Then  only  sorrow  for  those  in  bereavement  was  in 
his  heart.  Though  Baldwin  was  incapable  of  en- 
tertaining consciously  an  ignoble  sentiment,  he 
could  not  suppress  a  new  and  gladsome  sense  of 
freedom  and  relief.  He  returned  to  Tioga  at  once, 
leaving  Miriam  to  finish  her  visit  with  the  Hiltons. 

The  January  temperature  outside  was  below 
the  zero  mark  fully  ten  degrees.  Miriam  sat  in 
David's  study  reading  Ibsen  while  she  waited 
David's  return  from  the  annual  business  meeting 
of  the  church.  As  he  came  up  the  steps,  she  laid 
aside  her  book  and  looked  into  his  eyes  as  he  en- 
tered the  door. 

"  What !  Still  reading  Ibsen  ?  He's  fine,  isn't 
he  ?  You  must  read  his  *  Letters.'  I  got  them 
only  yesterday." 

"I  like  him.  He  fascinates  me  and  yet 

But  tell  *me  about  the  business  meeting.  What 
kind  of  a  meeting  did  you  have  ?  " 

"A  very  unusual  meeting,  sweetheart." 

"Unusual?" 

"  Yes.  For  one  thing  there  were  many  present 
who  had  never  before  attended  a  business  meet- 
ing of  the  church." 

"For  instance?" 

"Well,  Professor  James  was  there  and  Mrs. 
James,  and " 

"  Their  presence  would  give  tone  to  any  gather- 
ing. Isn't  it  fine,  David,  that  they  are  now  tak- 
ing so  much  interest  in  your  work  ?  " 


368  THE  MINISTRY  OF 

"  Yes,  sweetheart,  it  helps  a  man  to  believe  in 
himself  when  such  a  man  believes  in  him.  Be- 
sides Professor  and  Mrs.  James,  the  Ell  woods  were 
there  and  for  the  first  time  in  his  life,  Dr.  Wood 
was  there,  Tom  Stewart  and  two  of  his  brothers, 
Mr.  Parker  and " 

"  Was  Mr.  Driver  present  ?  " 

"Yes.     He  always  attends." 

"  Did  he  have  anything — anything  unpleasant 
to  say,  dear  ?  " 

"  Well,  he  did  have  something  to  say,"  answered 
David  solemnly,  avoiding  Miriam's  penetrating 
look.  "He " 

"  Oh,  David,  I  was  so  hopeful  that  the  business 
meetings  of  the  church  would  be  different.  Every- 
thing has  gone  on  so  smoothly  since " 

"  But  I  didn't  finish  telling  you  what  Mr.  Driver 
said,  sweetheart,"  David  interrupted,  his  face  be- 
traying the  character  of  his  next  sentence.  "  I  said 
that  Mr.  Driver  had  something  to  say.  He  made 
a  ten  minute  speech.  And  somewhere  in  his 
speech  he  seconded  Tom  Stewart's  motion  to  in- 
crease my  salary  by  one  half." 

"  Oh,  David  1  I  am  so  glad  1 "  cried  Miriam 
winding  her  arms  about  his  neck  and  hiding  her 
face  on  his  shoulder. 

"  What !  Does  the  little  girl  care  so  much  for 
the  money  as  all  this?  "  he  teased. 

"No,  no  I  It's  not  the  money,  dearest.  It's 
what  such  an  act  means." 

"  Of  course ;  I  understand,  sweetheart."     For  a 


DAVID  BALDWIN  369 

moment  he  stood  holding  her  to  his  heart.  Into 
that  moment  was  pressed  the  joy  which  should 
have  been  his  during  the  weeks  and  months  when 
sorrow  and  anxious  dread  held  him  within  their 
terrible  grasp. 

Reverently  he  lifted  his  heart  in  silent  prayer. 
"  I  thank  thee,  O  God,  that  thou  didst  not  let 
me  escape  from  the  task  for  which  I  was  born." 

A  new  era  had  dawned  in  the  life  of  the  First 
Church  at  Tioga.  Baldwin,  happy  and  joyous  in 
his  work,  was  freely  proclaiming  the  message  of  the 
Christ  in  terms  of  modern  thought.  For  a  while, 
in  his  isolation,  he  had  thought  he  was  standing 
alone ;  but  as  his  knowledge  of  the  situation 
widened  he  came  to  know  of  scores  of  pulpits  in 
his  denomination  where  the  same  problem  was 
being  worked  through. 

And  Miriam?  While  actively  sharing  again  the 
labors  of  her  husband,  her  mental  strength  being 
fully  restored,  she  was  finding  time  to  fashion 
anew  some  dainty  little  garments,  and  as  she 
sewed  each  stitch  she  breathed  a  prayer. 


THE  END 


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